Hollywood junipers

I think you need a tree. Please show the house fully from the sidewalk or street.

Agreed with previous posts...landscaping. Grass, or better yet, get some ornamental tall grass that is a perennial in your region and it will fill in the expanse of that wall as it grows. Check with your local nursery for their advice (not a box store). You will probably need at least 4 or 5 plants.

I would walk around your neighborhood and snap pics of gardens you like. Take your time. You may need to spread out the expense over a couple of years but it will be worth it. You've got a great looking house, so plan out your landscaping carefully to complement your style and consider drought conditions.

We're also in SoCal and have neighbors with a very similar expanse of wall facing the street. They have a red bougainvillea on a trellis that fills the wall. They do require trimming and have thorns, but it looks so pretty from the street.

No matter what kind of plantings you have, it's still going to look like a big blank wall. To get it looking more integrated into your architecture, it needs a big window or a couple of smaller windows. It's a big expense but well worth it IMO. Will change your curb appeal a hundred percent. Shame on your architect for not addressing this big sore thumb!!

Leave it blank till you can afford the landscaping. Better nothing there than something ticky-tacky that doesn't belong.

It's a garage, for heaven's sake!! Many garages have no windows and there is no valid reason to punch through stucco (and with the accompanying expense involved) to add them. Unless the OP wants to..........but given their financial concerns of adding landscaping, that seems even more over the top.

I'd look at it as a blank canvas against which to display something architectural.....like the Hollywood junipers (excellent suggestion, btw). If you can't afford them now, then I'd agree to wait and do nothing until you can. But a couple of junipers with a decent size to them is only a few hundred bucks....is that still out of reach?

Be waterwise.

I think ‘California Gold’ bougainvillea would look great there, and with some ornamental grasses (as in the pic above) or red yuccas, etc, around it. If you haven’t already, research Xeriscape ideas. They can go many ways — lush and fairly full to a cleaner, more defined look, and everything in between.