A couple of questions about how you intend to do this. Is the raised planter built in at the base of the garage wall already filled with soil, or if not, does it have a waterproofing membrane at the back side to prevent moisture damage at the wall? You say that the raised brick planter is 2 foot tall, but what is the internal width? You also don't mention the orientation of the wall, whether it faces south/west/east etc. You live in such a mild climate zone, that selecting a plant that could be tall and/or vining and look good year round is really not an issue. If you want to plant in pots behind that wall rather than directly in soil, I would recommend that you have such pots hooked up to automatic drip irrigation, and that the pots should be at least 25 inch diameter by 19 inches tall(a fairly standard pot dimension) to support the size of plants to screen that blank wall. Vines/Espaliers that look good year round in coastal southern California might include things like Coprosma repens with glossy green foliage or one of the colorful foliagecultivars of Coprosma repens such as 'Evening Glow', Grewia occidentalis for deep green fine textured foliage and flat growing habit with showy purple flowers year round, Calliandra tweedii if it faces south or west for showy red flowers, and can easily be trained as an espalier. Trailers to plant in pots above the wall should probably also be picked with drought tolerance in mind, and/or also hooked up to automatic drip irrigation. Easy care trailer for sun might include things like prostrate rosemary, Asparagus densiflorus sprengeri compacta, Convolvulus sabatianus, Juniperus conferta, Pelargonium peltatum. Succulents that trail such as Senecio mandraliscae or Oscularia deltoides, and upright succulents with colorful foliage such as Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' or extra long blooming Aloes such as Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid', and things like Anigozanthus flavidus cultivars would also thrive in full sun. If you are going to have plants that get big enough to effectively screen the blank wall, and not have them planted in soil, I would suggest that you size the container at 15 gallon or larger, which makes them a bit bulky to move, but are large enough that they roots don't dry out so quickly. Again, automatic drip irrigation would make a huge difference in plant appearance and growth. You may not even have room behind your brick planter wall to squeeze in a 5 gallon sized container, which limits the size/height of plants that will do well in containers. Some really fast growing plants that would also work for you might include things like Asparagus retrofractus, Psoralea pinnata, Cussonia paniculata, Acacia species such as A. covenyi, cultriformis, iteaphylla or merinthophora, Melaleuca incana. Some obvious vine choices for full sun would of course include Bougainvillea or Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Giant Crimson', along with others such as Dalechampia dioscoreifolia, Passiflora 'Lavender Lady', Petrea volubilis, Podranea ricasoliana, Pandorea jasminoides 'Rosea', Stigmaphyllum ciliatum, Thunbergia alata or T. gregorii, and Thenardia floribunda.

Josh - That'd be the place! Funny, I was so enthralled with shooting the plants that I didn't take any actual "tourist" pics. :) Sharon - You really have to see them in person. It's just astonishing! Thanks, all, for looking - I'm so glad you like them, I don't feel like so much of a nerd for taking pictures of plants when everyone else is taking pictures of the ocean, the sunset, the landmarks, friends, family... ;) CG

Hi, I know this is years after the original post; I hope someone is still around that knows about Coprosma. We have one of the (hundreds of varieties!) shrubs in a very large container. Lately (since fall) some of the branches are dying. A whole branch's leaves wither, curl, and darken and dies back to the main trunk. Then another branch starts. We have another variety of these in the same container that does not seem to be affected. I found a post from an Australian garden site that was seeking help on the condition which eventually led to the death of the plant (most of their 30 or so plants died). Nobody responded with a reason/cure. Too much water, too little, a disease, an insect? We don't see insects or familiar diseases on it. It isn't old. Currently receiving ambient light from a patio door (we moved them indoors when it got colder). Any help on Coprosma plant that starts off one or two branch's die @ whither then rest of plant follows would be appreciated.

Question #2 is even trickier! Gary, I really don't know the general life span for coprosma. But if the decline happened that quickly, it does not point to an old age issue. I don't know which came first, but the plant has been heavily pruned. If some established plants get moderately-heavily pruned at the wrong time, the undergrowth can suffer from the sudden change in heat and sunlight. Then that damage might get removed, and the condition cascades from there. I believe coprosma is more sensitive to summer pruning in that regard. When I grew some ('Evening Glow') two years ago, I recall making a firm mental note to prune them in late winter, and not at all during the summer. But I don't recall where I picked up that information or if that applies to C. repens. Or if it was a factor that I am not a shy pruner. There is new growth coming from the lower stems. If the root system is healthy, you could choose to cut it back to about 10-12" and see if the fresh growth takes off, pinching as it grows to help the plant bush out. Riverside is still experiencing some hot temperatures, I believe, and will have some colder ones coming in the next few months. If you do prune back, you might want to wait until late winter, and/or temporarily provide some protection for the tender growth. Something like a piece of shadecloth draped over some small stakes would help.