Daffodils and Rosemary, while not native to California, do very well here and provide a great color contrast while in bloom.
These plants thrive on neglect. As long as they’re planted in full sun in soil drains reasonably well they will live for a very long time. The daffodils need no supplemental water in a typical year – and the rosemary doesn’t require much, either. Both of these plants are deer resistant, although the daffodil flowers are not snail resistant, even though the plants are considered toxic to humans.
These are also low maintenance plants. The rosemary looks neater if it’s pinched back regularly, but if you use it for cooking this will happen automatically. The daffodils’ only requirement is that their leaves be left alone until they brown naturally so that you’ll have flowers again next year. They also benefit from periodic division and separation of the bulbs, preferably at the end of summer. If they’re thinned out to about 6 inches on center, you can create nice swaths of blooms over time.
Don’t plant rosemary anywhere near a structure if you’re in a fire hazard area – the same oils that make it a great herb also turn it into a fireball.