Rental Questions??? What would you do in this situation...?

We have put a dwn pymt on a home in MD, we have rented to my cousin for the last 8 yrs. we are lookin @ a house that is nice on the inside but not so great on the out. I want to plant flowers to make it ours, the owner has a problem with that. She wants to inspect the home everymonth when she pick up the rent..., she wants the rent on the 1st of the month by 10Am or night b4 or she will go start proceedings that day. I thought that if the rent was due on the 1st and as long as she has it by the 1st there is not anything that could be done. Am I wrong should I just get over it and do as she has asked or do I have alittle more rights than she is stating... She really doesnt want us to nail anything on the walls she said she uses sticky tape... What do I do??? We have not signed a lease yet... Do I have the right to tell her what we want to do with the house ie plant flowers, put pictures up(as long as the holes are fixed). What would you do??