Hi Fernsk,my question is can you provide some type of irigation? If not perhaps you could find some type of drought tolerant climber to go on the fence and put annuals under to provide color when the climbers are not blooming.

I suppose that I could add a small section of "drip/soaker hose like I plan to do with another flower bed. I think whatever goes there will have to be really heat tolerant tho' because it gets really hot in that spot - you may be correct and I might need to research some nice annuals that would do the job - thanks for the suggestion

Fern

some suggestions: (explore mediterranean-origin plants)
lavendar LOVE dry HOT
sedum autumn joy
achillea
ornamental grasses
stachys byzantina(no flowers; better foliage and habit than the regular stachys)
a climber would be nice up the fence- trumpet vine or lonicera heckrottii.

google drought tolerant perennials.
best, mindy

I know you've probably already taken care of the prob, but if you haven't, I agree with Mindy, Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) 'Cherise Queen' is great! Not too tall, but has a beautiful bright red blossoms, and drought tolerant. The fern-like base smells great when rubbed, and is great for stopping nosebleeds... oops, I'll stop now.