You could do either, but you are correct about the plug, and since it should be plugged into a GFCI outlet, the wet plug will trip it when wet or dirty and damp. I suggest adding an outdoor rated switch near the outlet. (You can just have one outlet of a duplex recepticle switch if you like, and leave the other always on. (Good solution for a pond pump and lighting.) I don't think you can do that with just a GFCI though. You need to add a protected outlet (ALL 3 WIRES CONNECTED!) off the GFCI for this to be the answer.) If you are not knowledgable about electricity, please consult a professional. I would not recommend switching the main GFCI as it might be unknowingly overloaded in an outdoor situtation, causing it to fail prematurely. Add a protected outlet, and switch that. -TT

"My husband and I can’t agree on a plan." This implies that you both have plans, but I will bet that no plan exists. The place to start for yourselves and us is a BASE PLAN, which shows a bird's eye view (map) of the area. Landscaping the front of a home is done with knowledge of its surroundings (all the way into the neighbors' yards.) But your pictures show just pieces of this. You should return with the camera to THE EXACT POSITION from which you took picture #3. Then aim the camera to the far left so you can include what is seen all the way over to the property line. (If the picture does not overlap with picture #3, take another that does.) Then continue on, panning the camera to the right and capture the right side of the property, again, all the way to the property line so that we can see the whole property in its surroundings. That's the only way a person could be able to understand it enough to make sensible recommendations.

There are a bunch of spirea as suggested by Ridley above that are small enough for your space, with either gold or green foliage and white or pink flowers such as Gold Mound, Gold Flame, etc. but you will need to research carefully since there are also many varieties of spirea that would be too large for your space.And likewise, there are a a couple of summersweet/Clethra alnifolia that are small enough such as Sixteen candles or Crystaltina, though most aren’t, and even the smallest ones tend to sucker and will need pruning to stay in bounds. But most of Ridley’s suggestions are too large for a 4’ bed such as Mock orange/Philadelphus, Viburnum, most Potentilla shrubs, and most of the panicled hydrangeas, though I gave you one above, Bobo, that might just fit. The other species of hydrangeas mostly aren’t hardy enough to bloom in zone 4.

You could make one for much less than $1000. Google around for ‘DIY pot fountain’ and you will find lots of examples of fountains made from large wide pots. They might not be quite as elegant as yours pictured, but they might serve your purpose and help you stay on budget. Fountains aren’t hard to make. If I can do it anybody can. Just buy the kit on line or at HD.