Very nice photos, Aniban!
A naturalist would worry about most of these colourful plants actually are not native to California, as they are invasive "aliens" from South Africa. In particular the Ice Plant Carpobrotus edulis has a huge invasive potential and has firmly entrenched itself on shorelines world wide. It is even more commonly observed in the Mediterranean than in its native country of origin these days 
Thank you very much, Bjørn. These plants turn diverse coastal dune and bluff vegetation into a monoculture of almost no value for biodiversity or wildlife habitat. The problem extends south into Baja California in Mexico, which is downwind and down-current from the U.S. state of California and vulnerable to our invasive plants.
However, as a photographer we can let those considerations rest for a while and enjoy the colourful display instead !!
I can particular recommend the north part of the Monterey Peninsula around Pacific Grove for having small-leaved, small-flowered ice plants (not sure of the current genus but historically classified as
Mesembryanthemum) that are absolutely spectacular in their setting.
Not only shorelines in California, but Ice Plant has been used as ground cover alongside patches of roadways, and other places, in central areas of the state.
But at least away from the immediate coastline of California, these plants are not competitive and do not create significant harm.
Not a Buckwheat, but Armeria or something closely akin to that genus in the Plumbaginaceae. Buckwheat Eriogonum is in the Polygonaceae, quite a distance off in the Plant Kingdom.
Armeria indeed!
