Erminja

You want to do duranta back here, and I think it will work well. The key is how you plant it: pull the rock back, then plant them as close and as tight together as you can. They'll do much better crammed in there together. Planted tight, they shade each other's roots, hold moisture better, and fill into a solid screen much faster.

Skyflower

Duranta. Purple flower clusters most of the warm season followed by golden berries. Upright, 6 to 8 feet, and can be kept as a hedge. Plant about 2 to 3 feet apart here so they grow together.

• Pull the rock back along the whole planting strip, not just at each hole. Rock holds heat right against the roots.
• Plant with native soil plus a little compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost.
• Shape lightly once a year in late winter after the frost risk. It can freeze back in a cold winter and comes right back in spring.

Here you could do another Mexican bird of paradise to match the others. If you want to switch it up, a yellow bird of paradise would look great here. Here are those and a few other options:

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Also called red bird of paradise. Fiery red and orange flowers all summer, the hotter the better. 6 to 8 feet. Cut it back hard once a year in late winter and it comes back full.

Yellow Bird of Paradise

Feathery leaves with clusters of yellow flowers and long red stamens, spring through fall. 5 to 8 feet. Same easy care as the Mexican bird of paradise, just a different color.

Baja Fairy Duster

Red puffball flowers most of the year, 3 to 5 feet. Hummingbirds visit it every day.

Red Yucca

Grassy clumps with tall coral-red flower stalks spring through fall. Almost no care.

Around the pool you want plants that fill in the area without being messy. Bamboo muhly is a great fit here. Here it is with a few other low-litter options:

Bamboo Muhly

Native to the Sonoran Desert. Airy, bright green, bamboo-like stems 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Soft and graceful, stays green most of the year, and doesn't drop much. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart.

Muhly Grass

Pink muhly. Fine textured clumps about 3 feet tall with a pink-purple cloud of flowers in fall. Cut back once a year in late winter.

Deer Grass

Native, big fountain-shaped clumps 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Very tough and fills a lot of space.

Red Yucca

Coral-red flower stalks spring through fall. Zero leaf litter.

Angelita Daisy

Tidy mound of yellow daisies almost year-round, about a foot tall. Great right along the deck.

Damianita

Low, fragrant, golden flowers spring and fall.

Mixing a couple of grasses with a low flowering plant in front looks great. Pick your favorites.

Going back to the area behind the rock feature and the fountain, ruellia would work really well growing all around it. It gives that spot the height and color it needs. It's evergreen, takes the heat, flowers from spring through fall, and bees and butterflies love it. Plant about 3 feet apart so it grows together around the rocks.

Ruellia

Purple petunia-like flowers spring through fall, 3 to 4 feet. Cut back by about a third in late winter to keep it full.

Desert Ruellia (white)

Same plant with white flowers. Mixing white with the purple looks great around the rocks.

Pink Ruellia

A pink-flowered version if you want a softer color.

Right here you want something that grows up for privacy but isn't going to be messy dropping leaves or flowers. Arizona rosewood is what I'd pick. Here are a few other options too:

Arizona Rosewood

My first pick. Native, evergreen and very dense, 10 to 15 feet tall. Almost no litter. Plant 6 to 8 feet apart for a solid screen.

Hopseed

Evergreen, fast, dense green wall to 10 to 12 feet. Takes full sun and heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.

Ficus Benjamina

Glossy, dense evergreen leaves that make a tall, solid privacy hedge fast. Can be kept 8 to 12 feet with shaping. Keep it a few feet off the wall and the house since the roots are strong, and give it deep water in summer.

Pick one and repeat it along the wall for a clean look.