Junipers look great with bottlebrush. The problem is that they are so dang expensive. My mom has some lovely creeping junipers with her bottle brushes and Icee Blue Podocarpus.

I favor chartreuse and lime green with them in my garden. I have them underplanted with Golden Sage and Silverleaf pelargonium. I like them with the golden dwarf Breath of Heaven, (coleonema) but those get too big for your purposes. Perhaps a lime or chartreuse sedum would look good, as long as they don't fry in your sun.

Or a blue Sedum, one that holds up to heat. There's a blueish cast to 'Little John's foliage. It's one of the things that makes it such a pretty little shrub. It's pretty even when not in bloom. Chartreuse sedum would look fabulous with the red flowers of 'Little John', but I can't think of one that would hold up to full sun.

Sedum rupestre 'Angelina', Myoporum parvifolium 'Dwarf Pink Form', Dymondia margaratae, Festuca ovina 'Elijah Blue', Sedum rubrotinctum.

Thanks for the responses, I'll check them out.
I was thinking of the white myoporum. I had the pink on the back slope and most of it died after 5 years so tore it all out. I should have cut it back some I think every other year or so.
The pink and white are all over my city so they do good here.

Today at a nursery in Ventura I asked and was told try Bacopa. Too thirsty and I doubt will tolerate my winter temps.

Once closer to fall planting time I expect my local nurseries to have more selections.