Nikkie,
You are listing trees (camellias are trees) and shrubs and then you say that the space is small.
So, for plants(not shrubs or trees), daphne is nice, quite fragrant. Jasmine vines in particular Madison carolina jasmine, blooms all of April and May and sometimes into June, just cut it down good after it blooms.
They raised Charleston's zone number to 9, so if you are looking online or in a local nursery, remember zone 9.
You want something different, so mabey a trip to a local nursery in the spring will give you more of a selection.
Also, to put in the front of a bed, try the new "Snow in summer" jasmine. I have it and planted it in my front bed and it grows pretty good. It has 3 color leaves and is extremely attractive planted next to a dark green plant.
It is also evergreen, like the Madison jasmine.
Look up online and see pics, it is gorgeous.
Also, cannas come back here, so if you enjoy the tropical look of cannas, plant them and mulch well, they come back bigger the next year.
Welcome to South Carolina!

Check out Hyams nursery on Folly Rd. I am in Upstate SC but have made day trips to Hyams to find different and unusual plants.

nikki, the neat thing about a courtyard is you can get real creative with vertical gardening if you have a wall or some kind of fence you can attach interesting growing pots on.