I did a search for winter crape myrtle and found quite a good number of photos.

https://www.google.com/search?q=winter+crape+myrtle&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=sinv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjOrcC_yJffAhXSdN8KHSWID2AQ_AUoAnoECA0QAg&biw=768&bih=894&dpr=2#imgrc=6Vnp72weaCsFgM

IMO the unpruned silhouette of the tree in winter and the stunning bark color and patterns make it quite attractive when leafless. I don’t know if yours will lose leaves in winter or not, but I find it a striking plant even when not in bloom.

Edted to add that jacarandas can get to a massive size, far larger than a pair of crape myrtles, so unless you have space to accommodate a really large tree, go with your instinct to plant the crapes. Crapes are available in a wide range of sizes so be sure to choose wisely to get a type that will fit your space without the unsightly chopping back that many receive AKA crape murder.

Jacarandas need space because pruning creates water sprouts that grow straight up and ruin the form. The purple flowers also reek of ammonia when they fall to the ground leading jacarandas to be not so affectionately known as "cat piss trees."

There is also a dwarf Jacaranda sold as 'Bonsai Blue'.

We live in SoCal where both trees are everywhere. I've not noticed the cat pee smell with jacarandas. One thing I do know is the blooms on the ground attract bees like crazy. Careful where you walk! I'd probably go with the two smaller crape myrtles. We have 6 of them on our property, but I'm not sure which varieties. Right now some are bare and others full of orange-ish leaves.

ETA - This photo's from last December, but you can see the orange leaves on one of the crapes by the street. The two to the left of it are bare, and the one to the far left (not shown) still has orange leaves, too. They look exactly like this right now.

People stop and stare at a Jacaranda in bloom,enjoy the fern foliage. Never gets old.

Crape Myrtles on paper are the better tree for most homes. Never large..easy to keep. But,they are ...boring? Unless you bought a home already with a large old Myrtle. Age makes everything better with trees.

That Dwarf Jacaranda seems to reach small tree sizes. Probably never tops 20'.

I agree with a dwarf jacaranda if you decide on one. For the crape myrtles, a multi-trunk is nice.

Crapes are like Bradford Pears.

We have 5 crepe myrtles, sorry I don't know the colors/kinds. They are wonderful lawn trees, but unfortunately we have one over a patio which basically drops 3 times a year: flowers around July, then leaves in the fall, also they drop their bark once a year. That one is well over 40 years old.

Actually in the summer sometimes I do feel occasional tiny moisture drops, but it's barely noticeable. On a lawn, all that dropped material just gets picked up during mowing. I'm in Sunset Zone 21 as well, and they go completely bare during the winter. However, one of ours is a blaze of orange leaves at the moment, and two others are just a lime green leafy look. We favor these trees as they are not a lot of trouble on the lawn and really put on a show in the summer. We have them professionally cleaned every 2-3 years, and they have kept their beautiful shapes.

It is difficult to say much about the trees using only flower colors; there may be four common cultivars with pink flowers sold in your area, for example. A tendency to mildew, length of bloom, etc. could vary between the pinks, depending upon the cultivar.

It sounds as if you are planning many plantings, based upon the number of threads. You will probably find the final result more pleasing if you make your choices with much consideration for how the different plant choices will interact with each other. A design should be for the whole yard, instead of simply this plant here, that plant there. A range of things should be weighed, including flower color(s) and period of bloom, complimentary and contrasting foliage combinations, plants with structural interest, and change, to name just a few. I have seen your desire for year-round interest using evergreens, but it can be beneficial to have some plants lose their leaves when the plant behind might be going into a peak season of flowers or colorful berries. Differing focal points throughout the year add interest to a landscape.

“Crapes are like Bradford pears.”. I don’t seen any basis for this comment other than both are commonly planted, blooming ornamental trees that have the potential for glorious fall color, though I don’t know how Bradford pears color up in CA.

IME, crapes don’t have the many drawbacks of callery pears. They aren’t wildly invasive (as callery pears are most places with adequate moisture and a long enough growing season for fruit to ripen), they aren’t as fragile in poor weather as callery pears, and they don’t have the unpleasant scent of a blooming callery pear that has been variously described as old gym socks, dead fish, or cat litter box. Additionally, pears don’t have two of the most attractive features of crapes, the attractive bark of older crapes and the far longer bloom period vs. the week or two of a callery pear.

I assume that the writer of the statement doesn’t like common plants simply because they are common.

Another difference between the two is that, at least in NorCal, Jacarandas keep their foliage all winter long and drop their leaves in the spring I believe. So if you're looking for winter sun/light and have it in a south facing spot the Crape myrtle might be a better choice.

Not to be too snobby..but It kills me to see our city here cut down 50 year Corymbia citriodora to plant Carape Myrtle in a parking lot.

Now,old Myrtles in peoples yards are great.

Jacaranda's are getting a lot of pad pub the last few years. People will regret losing those trees.you watch.

Differences between the two:

Jacarandas get much larger than Lagerstroemia. Factor the cost of corrective pruning for young trees and size reduction into your decision. Jacarandas need a lot more of that than Lagerstroemias.

Jacaranda root systems are more aggressive than Lagerstroemia, partially due to them getting much larger.

Jacaranda flowers are sticky and slippery when stepped on. Lagerstroemias are dry.

Lagerstroemia has fairly good fall foliage color in Sunset 21. No color on Jacaranda.

Lots of hybridizing being done on Lagerstroemias. Work is being done to produce cultivars with extended bloom periods.

Many Lagerstroemias have beautiful bark and look great when they are bare in the winter.

Lagerstroemia has somewhat thin bark as trees go, and should be protected from string trimmers and vandals scraping the trunks. The damage is visible for a long time.

Stan, There's a reason why eucs and their relatives don't make good parking lot trees. My husband was inside, fortunately, while his car was parked under the wrong euc — it wasn't even a windy day — when he heard a loud crash. The body pieces on the passenger side of his car are original, the remaining body panels, front, back, side, and roof, are all either repaired or replaced. There's a reason why they call those things widow-makers.

I'm on team Laegerstroemia here. I waffled about a new front yard tree for quite a while because a crape seemed so common, but I wanted bloom, a manageable size, and a sturdy constitution.

I will say that there is a redbud Forest Pansy near me which has been in place for a long time and which was given all of the room that it needed to grow into its full-size and it's gorgeous. The purple foliage turns a flaming orange in the fall and now that it's bare, the form is still lovely.

I have a huge jacaranda planted 1963. Its a beauty. Heres the truth, it drops something on the ground all year long. These are messy trees. Easy because I rarely prune it. Brittle branches may shed in windy conditions. Pods drop, flowers drop, leaves drop, twigs drop something is coming down always. You get one because you love the grandeur and hummingbirds who dearly love this tree and like nesting in it.

Kitty knows. They are living things. I guess if you want just any tree "look",a tree Chinese privet would do you. Other than once a year flowering- hardly much of show or mess,it's as close to a plastic tree as I can think of. Looks the same all the time.