BTW - thanks for not laughing at my two pathetic looking boxwood! LOL I appreciate everyone's kindness, and amateur prevention advice is always welcome!! First time homeowners, thank you very much. :) I'm no professional, but I found an interesting article about landscaping & flowers (the link is below) I thought I'd share. It reads that a general guideline to follow is that flower beds should be kept to the rear of the home, or simply to keep the colors in harmony with the home so as not to compete with the home itself. So, maybe I'll have to reconsider the reds and yellows, and add something softer or more neutral, like whites. I think oranges would be nice too (our front door is rust), but I'm not familar with too many flowers in that color range. Anyway, I do like the idea of the white allium in the pachysandra and the dianthus along the wall, combined with the alyssum. I might save the tulips and daffs for my back yard where they'll get more sun. Our soil is very rich, not sandy or clay. With regard to the Tanyosho Pine (pinus densiflora compacta), I just like the way they look - they have sort of a classic elegance to them, but I also love the contrast in foliage as I think that would compliment my yews and boxwood. I also like the vertical accent...and the simple fact that I'm limited with what will grow well with only morning sun! As an alternative to this, I do think taller boxwood is a good suggestion as accent plants, but since we're replacing dwarf alberta spruce with upright boxwood this year in the backdrop (see pic and explanation below), I'm hesitant to use two of the same accent plants in the background and forefront. As for the hedge, I'm either going to plant the hedge along the wall and wrap around the backside of the Tanyosho, or I'll just have the Tanyosho without the hedge. I really love the hedge idea, but I'm unsure of these two together. I'm torn. I've pasted a pic of my house below. Please excuse the overgrown ferns in my planters, the front door in restoration, and a few other things in progress. The dwarf Alberta Spruce next to the stairs didn't survive this nasty winter (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - one on each side of the stairs, but one is hidden by the overgrown fern. The spruce will likely be replaced with upright Green Mountain boxwood. The Japanese barberries to the left are being replaced with small, low yews (no higher than the platform). I like the idea of adding contrasting foliage along the retaining wall to perk it up - hubby is dying to play up our new wall. Diggingthedirt - What species of dianthus do you recommend with the silver leaves and long bloom time? I know this is probably too much information, but this is actually the shortened version! :) Thanks again for your feedback. Now, if only spring would arrive! *sigh* Here is a link that might be useful: flower bed planning

'Smaragd' has been measured 17 ft. tall in Seattle and I may have seen older examples planted before it became popular here that are more than double that height - the only question being if these are in fact 'Smaragd' and not one of the many other cultivars of T. occidentalis that have been named and grown. (If I become interested enough to take the trouble I could find out if any of these are 'Smaragd' by comparing foliage samples). Since there are 'Fastigiata' known over 40 ft. tall and the other two cultivars ('De Groot's Spire', 'Smaragd') discussed here aren't dwarf forms either I fully expect them to grow as tall as well, given enough time. 'Smaragd' is exceptionally prone to root rot, with internet queries about established hedges browning out and dying in sections having been rather numerous in the past. If this is a low, damp place another cultivar (or different species entirely) would probably be less of a gamble. If you plant an assortment of different plants there is more visual interest and less risk (if one or two kinds fail there is still the others, unlike when the one that falters and dies out makes up the entire planting) than with a row of one kind. And in this case the row of one kind being columnar conifers would produce a tense effect (like soldiers at attention) that seems at odds with relaxing in and around a pool. Also when you have an evergreen hedge right next to a wood fence the hedge may rub on the wood or keep it damp. There is also the problem of access to the fence or hedge for maintenance and repair being blocked by the close proximity and crowding. And when planting around swimming pools you want to choose plants with large parts that will not be easily and continuously sucked into pool filters or be hard to fish out of the water. The fine-textured debris of arborvitaes seems like it could be a nightmare in this situation. You are probably going to have to come up with an architectural solution such as arbors or trellises in order to get some screening on that side. If codes prohibit this then I guess you are stuck with being the neighborhood spectacle, out in the open like at a motel pool. Erecting a structural screen would also give much quicker relief than a hedge planting, which will take years to size up - how many summers do you want to wait for your increased privacy? This post was edited by bboy on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 14:55

Do you want something permanent like evergreens that would look good all year round, or do you prefer pretty annual flowers just for spring and summer color? If the planters are on the ground and have some shade, maybe something like Holly trees. They would be evergreen all year and grow bright red berries in fall and winter. The Holly tree grows naturally in a pyamidal shape (cone shape) Or, maybe a dwarf columnar juniper that would grow more tall and straight. They come in blue-green or green and sometimes in yellow-green. They would both look very elegant with your Colonial Revival style house. If the planters are up high on the porch and in the sun, some kind of softer, trailing plant, like ornamental grasses would look lovely. The soft grasses would blow in the breeze and trail down out of the planters. Or perhaps you might like some kind of trailing succulent plants that can take the dry heat in summer. Both are really pretty and also very elegant and in good form with your house. All of these do well in Oklahoma. Choose something that compliments your house color, size, and style. Too little and the plants don't even show; too big and they take away from the beauty of your home and look odd. Choosing the right plants also has a lot to do with which way your porch is facing - how much sun and wind will they get all day? Are the planters are on the ground or up off the ground? You might also want to consider taking photos of them with you to a local plant nursery and see if they might be able to offer some suggestions. Hope this helps. ~ Annie sweetAnnie4u)

We had been advised in our initial communication with them that the installation of a vent did not require a permit, and I don't know any more than that. What makes the vent illegal is the fact that it's been located where International Mechanical Code does not allow it to be located. This kind of reasoning makes me crazy. Officially you don't need a permit, but if you do it counter to code, e.g., locate it in the wrong place, you're in violation of the mechanical code. How can a code be enforced if there's no upfront agreement (taking out a permit) that you'll abide by it? I don't need a permit to erect a fence between my property and my neighbor's, as long as I follow certain guidelines, height, materials, etc. But if I do it wrong, I'm in violation and my neighbor would probably be caught in the same bind.