Since plants and fish both need sunlight, a place in direct light away from trees and bushes works best.

Aquatic plants can greatly enhance the look of your water garden. These can be free floating, submerged, or marginal… Some plants are good for their scent, some provide more oxygen than others, and some are simply beautiful to have in the garden ecosystem.

What about putting salt in the water to keep it from freezing – or, at least, to keep it from freezing at the normal freezing temperature?

animals & birds would be able to taste the salt at the first sip and so wouldn’t be poisoned cos they wouldn’t come back for a second!

and what differences would the salt water make to pipes and pumps and so on?

Drain your water lines for the winter or keep them warm. If you need to you can buy heat tape to wrap around water pipes. Also water that is in motion will not freeze. Salt can start a process of corrosion so I would not recommend that. Where I live we get sub zero temps for a good part of the year and I have never had a water line freeze on me.

Water is an irresistable force, it’ll eventually wear down anything, given time. It’ll get into cracks, break it up into smaller particles. As these particles are carried along, moved along downstream, they’ll settle out. The heavier particles won’t move as far, but the smaller ones can go quite far. As these particles settle out, and deposit, this is the deposition stage.

Because water has a slightly negative end and a slightly positive end, it can interact with itself and form a highly organized ‘inter-molecular’ network. The positive hydrogen end of one molecule can interact favorably with the negative lone pair of another water molecule. This interaction is call "Hydrogen Bonding". It is a type of weak electrostatic attraction (positive to negative). Because each and every one of the water molecules can form four Hydrogen Bonds, an elaborate network of molecules is formed.

also,you need to remember that when water freezes,the hydrodgen bonds formed lengthen and form a rigid structure,which makes ice less dense than water. this is why solid water/ice floats on liquid water (fewer H2O molecules in the same space!)
theres more on this website! http://witcombe.sbc.edu/water/chemistrystructure.html

Cheers,

Andrew

The Rain Bird ESP-4M (Outdoor) – 4 Station Controller is a great mid to upper level irrigation control system for home and business landscapes. Its capability for expansion makes is perfect for new systems where all needs may not yet have been identified. Here are the best features and benefits of this controller, explained.
Modular Capacity
If you have a homeowner that can’t quite make up their mind, or is constantly adding and re-arranging the landscape, the modular capacity of the ESP-4M controller saves a lot of time, cost and headaches. The controller comes equipped to handle four stations at a time, but can expand with the click of an additional module to accommodate 12 irrigation stations and an outdoor lighting station for automatic control.
Did We Mention the Outdoor Lighting Capacity?
What could be more convenient than managing outdoor lighting schedules along with the irrigation system. With this controller, everything can be maintained and timed in one convenient control panel.
Fuseless Circuit Breaker Keeps things Running
If one section of the irrigation systems becomes unable to function due to an electrical problem, the fuseless circuit breaker keeps the rest of the system running, isolating the problem area until it can be fixed. This feature is great for people who travel frequently-it gives peace of mind that the landscape will stay (mostly) watered, if part of the system goes down. There’s nothing like avoiding total system failure during 100 degree summer days!
Contractor Default Program
Sometimes and overeager homeowner will try to tinker with the irrigation system, even if he or she doesn’t have a clue what they should be changing or adding. For times when a client calls the irrigation maintenance firm and says “Help, I changed the program!” the Contractor default feature is wonderful. Rather than needing to re-program the entire system, the contractor can simply recall the original program from memory and make adjustments from there.
Advanced Sensors Conserve Water
Water restrictions are becoming more necessary and more highly regulated. Several options on the Rain Bird ESP-4M controller let homeowners modify or pause programs due to water restrictions. There is also a “permanent off day” feature as part of the programming capability to keep the system entirely shut down during mandatory no-water days.
Features for Easy Installation
Ease of use for the homeowner is great; however, these irrigation controllers are also easy to install and maintain. The cabinet is roomy, with plenty of space to maneuver within. Ribbon cables provide better visibility. You can “hot swap” or add additional modules without cutting power to the system, saving valuable time. A valve test system helps contractors see which valves are connected to which station for ease of programming. An added plus is the ability to program the controller using a 9 volt battery for power before installing the controller on the wall.
A Great Controller for Highly Varied Landscapes
Four different program cycles and the ability to serve so many stations makes the Rain Bird ESP-4M (Outdoor) – 4 Station Controller a top choice among landscape and irrigation professionals.

Richard Gilliland
http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/best-features-and-benefits-of-the-rain-bird-esp4m-outdoor-4-station-controller-749125.html

Water gardens are a very nice addition and add to the overall quality of your landscaping. Like anything else though, starting small allows you to learn valuable lessons that you could attribute to greater projects you take on in the future. Several reasons why you should start small and work your way up include that these mini-projects are cost effective for a starter project and smaller projects require less maintenance attention. Also, small fountain landscaping projects fit easily into tight quarters, and could simply be just the slight edge needed to bring a focus into an existing landscape.

These starter projects can either be purchased at the store or even homemade. If building a homemade fountain is your best alternative for a starter project, it is recommended to start in a flower bed. Begin by creating a simple shape, and line it with a supple liner. From there, install a fountain inside a piece of clay pottery. This will provide you with a simple, yet effective accent to a normal flower bed. Building and maintaining this man made creation will allocate skills and knowledge for future, more illustrious fountains. Unfortunately, the clay housing for the fountain cannot sustain the impact of the weather in some region’s winter weather. During this time, it is recommended that the pot be removed from the water to avoid breaking.

Once the time comes that you decide you would like to dispose of the starter project, and move on to bigger and better things, the process is simple. All that needs to be done is to remove the liner (which can be reused for the next project) and fill in the spot where the fountain used to be with dirt. As mentioned previously, as you build your new, larger landscape, you will be aware of the shortcomings and mistakes you encountered when building the previous development. Applying the experience gained to a new landscape will allow you to maximize the quality. Another positive that you could apply is the boldness of the landscape itself. With one venture under your belt, you are more likely to take chances and experiment with more complex components. Some examples could include a bridge as a new focal point of the landscape that showcases a stream running to the pond area with a fountain. The more sweeping the features are means that the more in depth the project will require you to be.

Steven Cancel
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/adding-a-water-garden-to-a-landscape-261183.html