I'd guess that the taller plants are Cordyline australis, but the trailer isn't of enough detail to identify on my monitor. Take another shot as a close up if you want a good chance of identifying this. I would take a stab at guessing the trailer as possibly being a white flowering Bacopa. As to suggestions for alternative plants, it would help if you said what town you are in, or at least what Sunset zone. Also, container planting suggestions will depend on whether you have these hooked up to automatic irrigation or not, or how often you care to hand water if they aren't hooked up to irrigation. Succulents can be an excellent starting point for container, and there is a huge variety to select from; but not all are equally hardy or tolerant of full hot sun.

I put in some State Fair zinnias last week, just to fill in some gaps...but I did all other flowering annuals from seed...and this time of year for plants in the ground it is all maintenance. Of course, the pots on my deck are another story. Just potted up all my coleus starts, and I need to repot some cacti and take care of some other potted plants. But in my yard, I'm the one with the watering can and the hose, especially these last few days. A crepe myrtle might work for you as a tree on the slope. There are compact varieties available. For shade/sun, ferns or hydrangeas or rhodies are my favorites.

EricT: That is an Agave americana or Century Plant. They are a common landscaping plant in the Southwest. The variegated ones (like stanofh's) are much more striking than plain ones and make a spectacular addition to most any garden. They eventually throw an inflorescence that can easily reach 30 feet tall! Sadly, the mother plant dies after blooming, but what a way to go out!!! Stanofh: Thanks for sharing these pics! I assume this is your garden? It sure looks terrific. The Cyphostemmae is awesome. Will the leaves green up as they get older, or is that about the color they will stay? Also, are you sure that is P. geayi? All the P. geayi I've seen have much darker, more slender leaves with pink veins (including my own)...

Mark4321 -- You are located right at the doorstep of fig guru Jon of Encanto Farms. You have the best advise, variety choices & probably the best buys. Price should be your least consideration for a variety that would be yummmy, especially for mom. From my experience, it pays big time to have a yummy fig & my wife can never get enough of good figs. So now, even my dinners are better tasting & the flip side is the waistline challenge.