Nasturtiums might work as well, and would go nicely with your stucco wall (orange/red/yellow shades) and grow quickly. I think they may be a perennial in your area - for me they die back in the fall. You could easily plant them in your wall mounted baskets and they would quickly colonize the upper fence. Some cultivars are more prone to climbing, which is what you would want to look for.
I would be wary of English ivy, it is a real pesky invasive up in the Pacific NW, not sure about California.