Two suggestions - consider investing in a landscape design. Having a professional walk the property and look at all the factors (e.g., drainage patterns, sun/shade patterns) and evaluate your landscaping goals, etc. can be well worth the price of the plan ($200-400). This could save you a lot of planting mistakes, wasted effort and help you see some issues that no one on the internet will be able to spot. Also consider incorporating some native plants into your design/choices. Especially on the fringes of your wooded areas to create a more natural transition. Plus native plants support the ecosystem that you're moving into and attract the natural insects and birds that your kids would love to observe as they play outside (I'm not talking about biting, stinging insects - you'll get those no matter what you plant; these are caterpillars and butterflies and moths that will be attracted - think Monarch butterflies that only eat milkweed, same concept). Also problem areas like poor drainage and wet sloping areas to a low area have perfect native plant solutions and believe me that willow is not the only one. Native plants can be beautiful, have flowers, great fall color and be treated just like non-native plants in a landscape. As far as planting next to the property line, remember that anything that hangs over the line can be trimmed by your neighbor (the part that is on his property, that is). Research the mature width of a plant and then divide that number by 2 to get the distance from any line or wall for planting. Recognize that the weather is warming up and that anything you plant now will need to be watered through the summer - fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Get a plan now, plant only as much as you feel you can keep up with with, mulch well to retain water and suppress weeds, and plant a lot of annuals this year to enjoy while you get ready for fall. In the meantime, research your desired plants so that you know what you're getting. Even with a plan you may not like everything that the designer chose - I swapped out a few things on mine for plants that liked the same conditions. A plan helped me feel like I had a roadmap and I was able to implement it as my finances and energy allowed.

Yes, we've discussed flag poles before and it became a heated political thread that was pulled by the Moderators. Hopefully, this one will stay focused on your question. I would do a search for "flags" or "flag pole" images. What about a nice planting bed around the pole? You don't say how tall your pole is, but I would make it big enough so that it's visually pleasing. Fill in with some low growing evergreen shrubs and bulbs. Will the flag be lit at night? If not, you'll need an area to access pole easily for flag removal. If so, you can hide electrical box/light with a few strategically placed shrubs.

Wow, that IS funny, bofletch. Your new kitchen is EXACTLY like our old (current) kitchen, the one we're about to ditch, down to almost every detail: 1) no peninsula -- until I recently cobbled one together out of wire shelving and a piece of butcher block to see how I would like it. Love it. Can chat with husband/guests/ kids while I'm cooking, without cabs or shelves inches from my head (bonus). 2) our fridge is currently where the pantry is in the plan. Never liked how far it was from the cooking area, and we haven't found much use for the counter space that is where the fridge will go, because of its (relative) distance from both the range and the sink... tends to collect clutter 3) we have regular upper cabs now. Already ripped some of them out and put in open shelving. We find that for dishes and cookware shelves are more convenient (accessible) that cupboards, and they are definitely more in our aesthetic. Yes, we'll have to stash unsightly stuff elsewhere, but that's what the pantry is for! Along with the drawers. (It helps that we don't find pots, pans, collanders, etc. unsightly) My husband would agree with you on the prep sink. Clearly my layout doesn't lend itself to one as well as others. Question is whether I'd be happier without one entirely. What I don't like now is washing my vegetables in main sink where dishes (or person washing dishes) are often in the way, then carrying them (dripping) over to the peninsula to chop them. I suppose if I didn't have a prep sink over there I might find the peninsula less useful. I would just prep in the area between the sink and the range. Then again, that peninsula has really proven to be the "sweet spot" for me -- chatting with friends and family while I prep. Curious to know what you have against prep sinks in general...? Despite our different tastes, I'd love to hear what I might be missing... Than ks.

Thanks! @francy, I'm keeping my fingers crossed...we're planning to do our project with permits, so knowing our city, anything could happen. I still haven't had time to go talk with the building inspection folks about it. When I posted the question here some months back, though, someone did mention that Piedmont is among the CA cities that allow Bosch and Miele without air gaps, so I'm hoping that will help our case since we're right next-door. I'm honestly more worried about one inspector saying okay at the beginning, and another nixing it at the final inspection once everything's in. Augh. @bostonpam, I'm excited to check out the Tapmaster---still new to that concept, but it was one of DH's (very few) requests for the remodel, so once I figured out it wouldn't completely blow the budget, we added it in. I like the looks of the Euro model a lot, too!