Small, Garden Updates Make a “Big” Difference at Home

Have you visited the most beautiful showroom on Oahu yet? If not, make some time to drop by. You will be pleasantly surprised and pleased that you did.

Big Rock Manufacturing has been making rock products here on Oahu for more than 30 years. The owners, Bonnie Cooper and Brian Joy, first opened a small shop in March 1983 where they made lightweight stone veneer. They have since expanded the stone line to include all manner of stone garden and pond products.

Big Rock was the first place here to offer homeowners a way to easily and inexpensively create their own ponds and waterfalls for home gardens without digging a hole for the pond.

The above-ground pond trend was not intentional at the time, but rather a necessity, as Big Rock needed to find a way to display its ideas for ponds using the concrete showroom parking lot areas it inhabited. The owners decided to build up (rather than dig down) using concrete blocks to make the shape of the ponds. To make waterfalls, the duo simply used some of the many lightweight boulders they had cast, and it worked like a charm.

All customers needed to do if they wanted to make their own pond was to go home, lay out a shape on the ground using a rope or hose, measure the circumference, length and width and bring that back to Big Rock. Bonnie or Brian would then calculate what was needed, and from these simple three dimensions, ponds started springing up in yards across the Islands.

The average pond —5 by 8 feet — only takes a weekend to construct and is a wonderful, fun family affair. All you need is a CMU block, a heavy-duty rubber liner, some moss rock veneer to cover the cement block, a submersible pump and a waterfall boulder. Add a few affordable tiki torches and you have tropical tranquility in the garden. Big Rock sells all the gear you need: liners, pumps, underwater lighting, filters, foggers to add the misty look and, of course, the cast stone to make it look natural. Add a few moss rock stepping stones leading up to the pond and you are done.

Above-ground ponds have many advantages: grass clippings from mowing the lawn don’t fly into the pond, and you have a little area to sit and watch the fish. You can add small fish and a few water plants for a clear, healthy and naturally well-balanced pond. There’s no chance of mosquitos, either, because the fish take care of that. Ponds are a wonderful addition to any home, and if you are ready to do the work yourself, they do not cost much. Something small with a nice waterfall makes all the difference in the world and adds life and music to your garden area. Drop by the showroom in Mapunapuna.

You will see two ponds and many other displays for garden water features, such as water-boulders, Japanese garden bowls and many pre-cast waterfalls. There’s a map online if you are unfamiliar with the area, just search Big Rock or call 834-7625.

BIG ROCK
contact // 834-7625
address // 1050 Kikowaena Place
web // www.bigrockhawaii.com