"Working with James was great from the beginning. He put my mind at ease with his product knowledge and his creative designs."
Water Features · Clarington, Durham
Water Features in Clarington.
Clarington is home. Our yard sits in Hampton, so the crews working on a property in Bowmanville, Courtice or Newcastle are often only a few concession roads from where the trucks are parked. For five decades, owner-led by a third-generation stonemason, Astonia has designed and built natural-stone landscapes across the municipality we live in — patios, walls, water features and full grounds, with every load of debris hauled away in our own trucks.
- Since 1975
- 3 Generations
- $5M Insured
- WSIB Covered
- Unilock Authorized
In Clarington
Landscaping that belongs in Clarington.
Clarington is unusually varied for one municipality, and the right approach changes street to street. Bowmanville's older core and the established lots around it come with mature trees, settled grades and a heritage character that a new landscape has to respect rather than overwrite — stone that looks like it has always belonged beside a century home. Courtice leans newer, with larger estate lots on the western edge where there is room to plan a full sequence of patio, planting and gathering space. Newcastle keeps its village feel, and homeowners there tend to want work that reads as part of the neighbourhood, not imposed on it.
Beyond the towns, much of Clarington is rural-edge — acreage, long approaches and properties that roll toward the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Ganaraska. On that kind of land, grade and drainage are the real design problem before a single stone is set: how water moves across a slope, how a terrace steps down to a lawn, how a driveway and entrance hold up through Durham winters. Owning our own small and heavy equipment matters most here, where access is tight, distances are long and a subcontractor's schedule would otherwise dictate the pace of the build.
Homeowners in Clarington are generally making a long-term decision on a property they intend to keep. They value steady, direct communication, crews that are insured and WSIB-covered, and a clean site — no rental bins sitting at the end of a country driveway for weeks. As a Unilock Authorized Contractor working in our own home municipality, we are close enough to stay genuinely hands-on from the first walk of the land through the final planting.
What we build
Water Features, start to finish.
Waterfalls
Natural Ponds
Koi Ponds
Streams
Fountains
Stone Basins
The craft
Built from the ground down.
A water feature lives or dies on the stonework around it, and that is where Astonia begins. James Dennison is a third-generation stonemason, and a waterfall reads as natural only when each boulder is chosen for its face, set on its most convincing bed, and weighted so the water spills where the eye expects it to. We work in large fieldstone, weathered granite and locally quarried armour stone, dry-laying the visible faces and hiding the structure behind them. A cascade is built course by course, pool by pool, with the catch basins shaped and tested as we go, so the sound of the water is composed rather than left to chance.
The scope runs from a single carved stone basin on a terrace to a tiered waterfall feeding a koi pond across a back garden. Natural ponds are excavated and contoured by our own crews, then sealed, lined and edged so the liner disappears under stone and planting and the water sits as though it has always been there. Streams are graded by hand to hold a steady run without pooling or starving, with submerged stone set to break the surface and carry sound. Fountains and sheer descents bring moving water to a courtyard or a pool surround where a full pond would not suit. Koi ponds add their own demands — depth for overwintering, shelving, and the kind of biological filtration that keeps fish healthy for decades, all of which we plan into the build from the first sketch.
What separates a water feature that ages well from one that becomes a maintenance burden is everything hidden beneath the stone. We size the pump and plumbing to the volume of water and the height of the lift, bury the lines below frost, and build the filtration, skimmer and overflow into the structure rather than bolting them on afterward. Auto-fill, in-water lighting and clean valve access are designed in from the start, so the mechanics stay invisible and the maintenance stays simple. Every feature is built to run through an Ontario winter and come back clear in spring — these are systems meant to last generations, not a season.
Because Astonia owns its small and heavy equipment and runs its own crews, the excavation, the stone-setting and the plumbing all happen under one roof, with no subcontractor delays and no waiting on a rented machine to break ground. Every load of spoil and offcut leaves in our own trucks — there are no unsightly bins parked on your driveway for weeks. The work is owner-led, with James reachable through the build and a clear briefing each morning and evening, and it is backed by $5 million in liability insurance and fully WSIB-covered crews. You are dealing with the person responsible for the result, from the first walk of the garden to the moment the water is finally turned on.
How it works
From first handshake to final reveal.
01
Initial Consultation
We meet you on-site to walk the space, understand how you want to live in it, and talk through your vision and investment — no obligation.
02
Design & 3D Review
Our designer measures and plans your space, then renders it in 3D so you can see it before we break ground. We refine every detail together.
03
Breaking Ground
Our own crews and equipment start at 7:00 AM, keep the site clean every day, and brief you each morning and evening — no subcontractor gaps, no bins.
04
Project Completion
After a final walkthrough, the only thing left behind is your finished space — built to gather on for generations.
The Astonia difference
Why homeowners in Clarington choose us.
Owner-led
Daily communication from James, from the first handshake to the final reveal.
Our own equipment
Small and heavy machines, run by our own crews — no subcontractor delays.
No unsightly bins
We haul every bit of debris away in our own trucks, every day.
$5M insured
Liability coverage above the industry average, for your peace of mind.
WSIB covered
A fully covered, professional crew on every project.
Unilock Authorized
Warranty-grade materials and professional installation standards.
Kind Words
Homeowners across the GTA, on the Astonia experience.
Five decades of referrals across the GTA & Durham — and a Unilock Authorized Contractor. Read more on Google & Houzz.
"The natural stone work and landscape job that James and his crew did is beautiful, outstanding work. The quality is outstanding — we would recommend this company to anyone."
"Astonia was a delight from start to finish. The crew showed up early and worked long days to finish on time. We are now enjoying the most amazing front yard. Outstanding results!"
"As a repeat client, we selected Astonia to transform our simple backyard into a relaxing space amongst a natural setting that will bring us many years of pleasure."
Good to know
Water Features in Clarington, answered.
Yes — that is designed in from the start. We set plumbing below the frost line, size the system so it can be shut down and drained cleanly, and build ponds with the depth and shelving fish need to overwinter safely. Each autumn the feature is prepared for the cold, and it comes back clear and running in spring. These are built to last generations, not a single season.
Less than most people expect, because we plan for it during the build rather than after. Skimmers, proper filtration, auto-fill and accessible valves are built into the structure, so day-to-day care is light — topping up, the occasional clean, and a seasonal open and close. For koi ponds we walk you through the routine in detail. Because the mechanics are sized and hidden correctly, the feature works with you instead of against you.
We design and build across the GTA & Durham region — including Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, King City, Whitby, Oshawa, Bowmanville and the surrounding areas.
Every project is different — from focused stonework to a full landscape transformation — so we provide a clear, detailed proposal after an on-site consultation rather than a generic price. Most of our work is a meaningful, lasting investment in your property.
Timelines depend on scope, and you receive a realistic one at the design-review stage before we break ground. Because we own our equipment and run our own crews, we work efficiently — starting at 7:00 AM and keeping the site clean every day.
Yes. We carry $5 million in liability insurance — above the industry average — our crews are fully WSIB covered, and we are a Unilock Authorized Contractor.
More services in Clarington
Water Features nearby
Water Features in Clarington, done right.
Book a free on-site consultation. We design, build and plant the whole space — then haul it all away when the last stone is set.
$5M insured · WSIB-covered crews · 3rd-generation craftsmanship since 1975