Marigolds have an odd odor than may be worse in the confines of a house. I'm not in Calif., but I would look at the environment around you, and pick plants that below in a dry environment. A lot of the tropicals I only see in greenhouses could be grown outside by you. Do a google search for Flowering Tropicals or Xeriscaping or something like that. One I found quickly was http://www.xeriscapenm.com/principles.html
HTH

Kev

You have a lot of choices living in SoCal. Dianthus or carnation is a good choice, along with other annuals such as statice, candytuft, snapdragons, and aforementioned zinnias.

If you get anything close to "normal" winter's rain, none of these should need much supplemental watering.

HTH