If you purchase caladium tubers ASAP, pot them up, and get them started in the warmest location of your home, they will emerge in a couple of months for planting. They are very slow to sprout and heat speeds it up.

Potted caladiums in full glory will be sold in all of the nursery outlets but you'll have no idea how old they are. Caladiums have a finite display period, but if you know when they emerged, you can count on many weeks until they fade.

Next year, start the tubers inside in December to be able to plant vibrant caladiums in early March. I adore caladiums.

Probably the most popular (used as an) annual plant is Begonia semperflorens cultorum, everblooming wax begonia. In a shady location, I'd select a green leafed variety. I'll bet that you can find them now at your garden centers....they are quite hardy.

Is there anything a little bigger? This area isn't far away, but i feel like the begonia may not be appreciated from this far away. I do like it and may make an annual pot of this for the porch though !

If you have some sun you could try the tall Nicotiana. They are a part shade plant just like your Camelias and they grow to 3 feet but there are some that are shorter. Although I've never tried the tall varieties I have grown the dwarf version under my maple tree and they've done well

Coleus seeds are very cheap and you could fill the gap with a bunch of coleus :) they also do well in shade :)