Does the area have any shade at all? How about an evergreen fern for some great texture, and for color add some pink rain lilies. The rain lilies aren't evergreen, but they bloom when they get wet, then like to dry out in between.

Autumn fern is evergreen and can take a good bit of sun and drought, but it gets so big after a couple of years. Red dock is evergreen for me, and I'm further north than you - so that might work. I have mine in a good bit of shade though and don't know if it will take full sun or not. Can't think of anything else - not much help I guess.

I use the same old Sedum I give away at trades to cover the edges of my pond. I also have Rain Lillies, some kind of Bacopa (I think it's monniera) that likes water, Parrot Feathers, Corkscrew Rush(Juncus spiralis),Loosestrife(Lythrum salicaria), Watercress, Dwarf Papyrus, Native Spike, Black Mondo Grass (for the contrast)....

There's a lot more plants available than you think for marginal areas including a slew of pitcher plants(sarricenias) and mosses that will tolerate some dryness. Don't forget some Pickerel Weed for continuous summer color or Arrowhead.

Here is a link that might be useful: here's some more sugestions

I do have pink rainlilies I can use, that's an idea.
The area does not get enough shade for ferns. They AM sun is pretty intense there, and even that particular variegated pittosporum I put on the other end of the little garden might get fried. I'm just trying it out for now...
I don't want marginals. The area will get too dry for them as the pond is very close to the house. It was the only place I had to put it right now...easy to dig in, and out of the way of any area slated for demolition in the next year or so of renovations.
I also have black mondo and I was thinking about that after I posted. That would look super. The Bacopia I'd love. Is that evergreen here? I actually have never seen it for sale in the US. It is used as an annual container plant in Canada, but I can't find it here (well, I don't shop for plants much so maybe I missed it!)

GGG

I actually got my Bacopa at HD of all places. Check the water garden area often for new plants cause they go fast when they come in. Native Spike can take the sun and drought very well and has a cool umbrella shape like Papyrus with little spiked knobs on the tips. I also have a native Oat Grass for you Glynnis that is extremely well behaved and clumps rather nicely looking somewhat like a minature bamboo plus oat-like seeds on the tips later in summer which I like to leave through winter for the color and movement.

You might try Bog Andromeda. It needs cool, moist soil and sort of looks like candytuft.

I don't have a pond, at least not in the garden, but I have a dripping faucet birdbath or two where it's sometimes wet and sometimes dry. A daylily can take lots and lots of water. Kept moist, a little heirloom red (Sammy Russell) that I have bloomed all summer.

Lullabye Baby is a nice small pink that has a bloom period of 50-120 days according to an article I saved from BH&G. I haven't timed it in my garden, but it's a cutie.

Here are some teensy daylilies that are Evergreen. The first number is the year registered, the next number is the height and the next is the size of the bloom. Re means they rebloom in a season. Suggested prices are from vendors near me.

BUMBLE BEE Williamson 1964 12 EERe 2 Light Yellow w'Rose Eye Evr Dip Ext D $5.00
BABY FRESH Joiner 1991 A 16 EMRe 3.5 Light Peach Self Evr Dip Fra No Ext D $6.00
BIRD'S EYE D. Kirchhoff 1985 A 20 EERe 3.5 Ivory Cream w'Rose Eye Evr Dip Ext D $5.00
LITTLE MAGGIE Williamson 1981 A 12 ERe 3 Rose w'Burgundy Eye Evr Dip D $5.00

If it rains a lot, you'll have lots of bloom -- if it's dry, daylilies will survive.

Plains coreopsis will tolerate damp soil. Those dark little blossoms will be a good foil for pink blooms. Annual, reseeds, not evergreen.

Nell

Bog Andromea ROCKS! I need some. Look at how weird the blossoms are. Neato. Perfect height. I just "planted" a rock. It would be great beind the rock.

Nell, thank-you for the evergreen daylily list. That is a great list, and I prefer evergreen plants as I tend to dig around a lot in the winter and then wonder what the heck things are under there!! Do you have Moontraveller daylily? I recieved mine from a gal who used Moontraveler as her "handle" here some years ago. It's got oldfashioned daylily traits. It's mainly evergreen, has HUNDREDS of yellow flowers, and re-blooms like the dickens if watered and fed. I have mine on a slight slope which floods when it rains, but is well drained enough not to rot them out. It's a little known but fab daylily! This, and I'm not much of a daylily fancier (although I admit, I have quite a few now. I keep growing them from seed!!)

Great suggstions. I put some cast iron plant back in the corner (near the stairwell the pond sits near) too. It's a good back drop. I added a small trellis and pink japanese daylilies for temporary height until the gardenia gets taller and fills in. Evergreen plants and shrubs mean less digging around in the pond for gucky foliage.

GGG