Post some pictures that people can see, your first wasn't visible for me. East facing will mean morning sun until noon, but may be shadier than that if trees block full sun. I'd suggest pots with succulents in general will be the easiest plant types to care for, and there are so many types.Glazed ceramic pots, or self-watering fiberglass pots may be very practical and require less frequent watering. I have the opposite opinion of the White Potatoe Vine for a balcony; too rampant growing and ugly looking in colder weather. Consider her Sunset zone when selecting succulents, but having a roof overhead helps with protection from winter wet and cold, a combination some succulents don't like. The Sunset Western Garden Book has an excellent section on good container plant choices. I'd also suggest a nursery visit to a great retail nursery known for their vast selection of containers, such as Flora Grubb Nursery in San Francisco, or Annie's Annuals Nursery in Richmond, California. Aw Pottery off Hwy 880 in Oakland is also a great source for containers. A consultation on-site with a landscape designer well versed in container gardening might also save you time and money. If you do a search for posts with photos under my name, I'm sure I've posted examples of varied container plantings on here over the years that might get you thinking of possibilities.

Is wind going to be a problem? What exposure [direction] is the patio? I might suggest graphing out the area and charting the sunlight patterns by the hour. The link below is to a gadget that I keep promising myself to get, as I'm always looking for ways to mitigate for shade in my yard.. Looks very handy. That might help you as you learn the ropes of your new zone. May I also suggest Sunset Western Garden Guide? Great idea-sparker and practical advice. I had good results with bush sweet peas [Christmas gift for apt-dwelling family] Ivy Geranium is fairly forgiving of less than perfect conditions. I have a Plumbago growing in filtered shade [prefers sun] and it stays small with lovely blue flowers. Here is a link that might be useful: Sunlight calculator

Since Ian Barclay occasionally reads/posts to this forum and runs a nursery in WA that specializes in water-wise gardening in the PNW, I think that his perspective is important. He sells Ribes speciosum (http://desertnorthwest.com/catalog/plants_western.html), and here is his take: "Hardy to about 10 F" "It is one of the few drought-deciduous shrubs we can grow in the Northwest." "Although native to central California, IT DOES FINE IN MILDER NORTHWEST GARDENS, occasional leaf drop notwithstanding." (my emphasis) If you have a problem with me SUGGESTING Ribes speciosum for a relatively mild climate like Portland, I can't image what you think of Ian for SELLING the plant to PNW customers. Be sure to express your displeasure the next time that he posts here.

Holly-Kay, you mentioned a good point, if someone still has a daily work commute. I'd forgotten how much I hated the drive to and from work. Even with sun glasses on and sun visor down, I often had to drive one handed, down a particular road, in order to shield my face from the blinding sun. It wasn't ideal, but I figured one handed driving was safer than trying to drive without being able to keep my eyes open, lol! But I'd always want the exposure for my home that offers the most light in rooms that I spend most daylight hours in, especially in Wisconsin, where you aren't going to suffer extremely hot summers.