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The Bay Area’s unique situation on a peninsula surrounded by the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean and among the middle altitudes has granted it the rare Mediterranean climate. This climate is characterized by a marine layer and moderate temperatures. This makes gardening in the Bay Area a special treat, and the options when it comes to year-round flowers wide and varied. Remember that flowers thrive in full sun and in the Bay Area require little watering. For those living closer to the bay where the marine layer is especially present try the montara rose, California lilac, beach aster, beard tongue, and butterfly weed.Get more information here. http://blog.anniesannuals.com/2011/07/08/succulents-dont-suck/ These are all flowers native to the area and only require weekly watering due to the high amount of water they collect on their own.
Further inland there is less of a marine layer and the soil has a little more clay. Delightful flowers for this area include California poppies, bishop’s or queen anne’s lace, corncockle, and cosmos. The thing to remember with these flowers is that they are very easy to over-water. The poppies need only to be watered about twice a month, and will attract birds who love to eat their seeds. Water the cosmos every other day before 10 am and as they bloom you will notice more bees and butterflies visiting your garden! The rest of these inland beauties need to be watered once a day.
While the climate is welcoming and nurturing for your flowers, the Bay Area also holds perils for gardeners, the most prominent of those being gophers. Gophers love tender young roots and bulbs, and if they discover your garden, can quickly take it out. Be watchful for dirt mounds with lime sized indentations on the top, and similarly sized holes. Most gardeners with pets prefer gopher traps to poisons out of both safety and economy (traps can be reused!).