--- title: "New England Aquatic Landscaping" description: "Shawn Cutroni built his first pond at 19, a Christmas gift for his mother. The company he started in 2007 works out of Cherry Valley designing, building, m" doc_version: "2026-09-21" last_updated: "2026-09-21" --- # New England Aquatic Landscaping **Trade:** Landscaping · **Address:** 10 Atwood St, Cherry Valley, MA 01611 · **Phone:** (774) 437-1160 · **Website:** https://iloveponds.com · **Languages:** English **Rating: 3.1/5** (medium confidence) — from 7 reviews across 5 sources. 100% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 0 reviews, 0 negative. ## The honest read Shawn Cutroni built his first pond at 19, a Christmas gift for his mother. The company he started in 2007 works out of Cherry Valley designing, building, maintaining and renovating koi ponds, pondless waterfalls, fountainscapes and natural swimming pools across eastern and central Massachusetts and into Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire. When he deployed to Afghanistan with the 1-182nd Infantry in 2011, his father Tim ran the business until he got back, and his mother Janelle came in too; the site describes the company as 100% family owned and operated, and veteran-owned. He is listed as a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor on both his own site and his Houzz profile, and the site adds an Aquascape Regional CAC of the Year award for 2025. The Houzz profile carries his Worcester Flower & Patio Show wins: People's Choice for best waterfall builder in 2009, and first place for a major garden display in 2013. The two customers who wrote about the company did so in April 2019, and both were about keeping a pond alive rather than building one. One had bought a house with a koi pond and knew nothing about caring for the fish: the crew came out, cleaned it, answered the questions and gave information about future repairs. The other described a pond that had turned into a mess as the warm spring days arrived, and afterwards clear water and happy fish. Five more Houzz reviews, written between 2013 and 2015, come from people in the pond trade rather than homeowners — one worked with Cutroni on a pond build for a school in Maryland, another on a pondless waterfall revamp at a public library that he donated his time to. Houzz puts a typical job anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000, the distance between a spring cleanout and a built water feature, and its BBB page shows an A+ grade. If you want a pond or waterfall built by someone who does this and little else — and then maintained by the same crew — this is the call in central Massachusetts. Ask to see ponds built in the last couple of years, and settle what the seasonal opening, closing and maintenance will cost before the build begins. **Strengths:** - Aquascape master certification — listed on Houzz and the company's own site - Pond cleanups — two April 2019 customers described clear water, healthy fish - Veteran and family run — Shawn Cutroni with his father and mother - Flower show awards — Worcester People's Choice 2009, two 2013 wins ## Claims & citations Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication. - Family-run water feature company in Cherry Valley that designs, builds, maintains, repairs and renovates ponds, koi ponds, pondless waterfalls, fountainscapes and natural swimming pools across eastern and central Massachusetts and into Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire _(confidence: high)_ - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “A family-run water feature company in Cherry Valley, MA that designs, builds, maintains, repairs and renovates ponds, koi ponds, pondless wa…” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Services offered (Houzz): Landscape Construction, Garden Design, Custom Fire Pits, Outdoor Lighting Installation, Custom Water Features, Lan…” - The company says Shawn Cutroni built his first pond at 19 for his mother and started the business in 2007; when he deployed to Afghanistan with the 1-182nd Infantry in 2011 his father Tim ran it and his mother Janelle joined _(confidence: medium)_ - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Company history (self-reported): Shawn Cutroni built his first pond at 19 as a Christmas gift for his mother and started the company in 2007…” - The company describes itself as 100% family owned and operated, and veteran-owned, with 18 years in business _(confidence: medium)_ - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Ownership (self-reported): Owned by Shawn Cutroni and run with his father Tim and mother Janelle; the site states it is 100% family owned an…” - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Stated ownership (self-reported): Family-owned, Veteran-owned” - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Self-reported 18 years in business” - Listed as a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor on Houzz and on the company's own site, which also cites an Aquascape Regional CAC of the Year award for 2025 _(confidence: high)_ - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: Master Certified Aquascape Contractor” - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: Aquascape Regional CAC of the Year 2025” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Listed certification: Master Certified Aquascape Contractor” - Worcester Flower & Patio Show wins listed on Houzz: People's Choice best waterfall builder in 2009, and in 2013 first place for a major garden display and Most Relaxing Display _(confidence: medium)_ - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Listed certification: Worcester Flower & Patio Show People's Choice Award Winner 2009: best waterfall builder” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Listed certification: Worcester Flower & Patio Show 2013: 1st Place Major Garden Display” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Listed certification: Worcester Flower & Patio Show 2013: Most Relaxing Display” - Two April 2019 pond-maintenance customers described a cleaned koi pond with questions answered, and clear water with healthy fish after a spring cleanup _(confidence: high)_ - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “5★ I bought this house with a Koi pond. Did no know anything about it or how to care for the fish properly. I called them to come out and cl…” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “5★ The guys did such a great job! My pond was a mess as the warmer spring days crept up on us. Now my fish are happy, water is clear, and my…” - Houzz shows 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings — two from 2019 pond-maintenance customers and five written by industry peers between 2013 and 2015 _(confidence: high)_ - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Houzz: 5.0★ from 7 ratings” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “The Houzz profile for 'I love ponds.com' (New England Aquatic Landscaping) of Cherry Valley, MA shows 5.0 out of 5 from 7 reviews — two from…” - Pond-trade peers writing in 2013 described working with Cutroni on a pond build for a school in Maryland and on a donated pondless waterfall revamp at a public library _(confidence: medium)_ - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “5★ Shawn and I just completed a revamp of a pondless waterfall at a public library. Shawn graciously donated his time to improve this public…” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “5★ I worked with Shawn on a pond build for a school in Maryland and found him to be a true professional in every aspect of the word. His cre…” - Houzz lists a typical job cost of $1,000-$50,000 and shows 7 projects _(confidence: medium)_ - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “7 project(s) shown on Houzz” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “The Houzz profile for 'I love ponds.com' (New England Aquatic Landscaping) of Cherry Valley, MA shows 5.0 out of 5 from 7 reviews — two from…” - A February 2019 pond trade magazine described the company as a full-service water feature business that had been transforming New England backyards for more than 11 years, run by a combat veteran and Master Certified Aquascape Contractor _(confidence: medium)_ - [pondtrademag.com](https://www.pondtrademag.com/contractors-corner-next-level-filtration/) — “pondtrademag.com — Shawn Cutroni is a combat veteran and Master Certified Aquascape Contractor based in the Greater Boston Area of Massachus…” - [pondtrademag.com](https://www.pondtrademag.com/author/shawncutroni/) — “pondtrademag.com — They have been transforming backyards all over New England for more than 11 years, designing, building, maintaining, repa…” - Better Business Bureau grade of A+ under Water Gardens _(confidence: medium)_ - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/cherry-valley/profile/water-gardens/new-england-aquatic-landscaping-0261-322976) — “Better Business Bureau grade: A+” - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/cherry-valley/profile/water-gardens/new-england-aquatic-landscaping-0261-322976) — “Services offered (Better Business Bureau): Water Gardens” - Specializes in Landscaping _(confidence: high)_ - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com) — “A family-run water feature company in Cherry Valley, MA that designs, builds, maintains, repairs and renovates ponds, koi ponds, pondless wa…” - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238) — “Services offered (Houzz): Landscape Construction, Garden Design, Custom Fire Pits, Outdoor Lighting Installation, Custom Water Features, Lan…” ## Ownership - Identifies as veteran-owned — the business's own statement, not independently verified. - Identifies as family-owned — the business's own statement, not independently verified. ## License Status: **not_found** — verified against the official MA state registry, never self-reported. Re-check at the official registry: https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search ## Sources - [Exa](https://www.pondtrademag.com/contractors-corner-next-level-filtration/): 4 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source) - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/i-love-ponds-com-pfvwus-pf~436842238): 5.0★ from 7 ratings - [Official Website](https://iloveponds.com): 18 yrs in business · Self-reported profile and service details - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/cherry-valley/profile/water-gardens/new-england-aquatic-landscaping-0261-322976): Listed on this source - [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=New%20England%20Aquatic%20Landscaping&query_place_id=ChIJI_oTmogD5IkRbOAl4INPGYU): 4.9★ from 203 ratings ## Mentions Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding. - “Bring the waterfalls to your backyard with New England Aquatic Landscaping.” — wcvb.com (2019-06-06) — https://www.wcvb.com/article/bring-the-falls-to-you/27767159 - “Shawn Cutroni is a combat veteran and Master Certified Aquascape Contractor based in the Greater Boston Area of Massachusetts. His company, New England Aquatic Landscaping, is a full-service water fea…” — pondtrademag.com (2019-02-01) — https://www.pondtrademag.com/contractors-corner-next-level-filtration/ - “They have been transforming backyards all over New England for more than 11 years, designing, building, maintaining, repairing and remodeling all varieties of water features.” — pondtrademag.com (2019-02-01) — https://www.pondtrademag.com/author/shawncutroni/ ## Recent reviews - **5/5 · Houzz · Vickie Drew · 2019-04-25**: I bought this house with a Koi pond. Did no know anything about it or how to care for the fish properly. I called them to come out and clean it for me and they not only cleaned it, they answered my questions and provided information for me as far as the future repairs that could come up in the futur… - **5/5 · Houzz · HU-546054174 · 2019-04-16**: The guys did such a great job! My pond was a mess as the warmer spring days crept up on us. Now my fish are happy, water is clear, and my pond hasn’t looked better. Very professional team, I will definitely recommend these guys! - **5/5 · Houzz · Arbor Ridge Services · 2015-03-03**: New England Aquatic Landscaping does beautiful work! Shawn has worked with the best pond and waterfall artists at Aquascape. I would highly recommend this company to create incredible backyard ponds pondless waterfalls, and fountains for all of MA. - **5/5 · Houzz · User · 2013-10-10**: As an industry professional, writing reviews for other industry professionals puts my reputation on the line. And in this case, it's a no brainer ! Shawn has trained and built with the best of the best in this industry, and possesses the skills needed to create some beautiful artwork in your backyar… - **5/5 · Houzz · Forever Green Landscaping · 2013-10-10**: Shawn and I just completed a revamp of a pondless waterfall at a public library. Shawn graciously donated his time to improve this public retreat. His great work ethic and artistic eye, along with his passion for the water garden industry make it an easy recommendation for me to make. I wouldn't hes… - **5/5 · Houzz · Dan Put · 2013-10-08**: I worked with Shawn on a pond build for a school in Maryland and found him to be a true professional in every aspect of the word. His creative style and belief of 'ponds done right' will carry him decades in his profession.....!!! - **5/5 · Houzz · Sarah · 2013-10-07**: New England Aquatic Landscaping is an outstanding company. I would never think twice to call the owner, Shawn, to set me up with anything I need. He is a great guy with extreme dedication. You can tell that this isn't a job, it's a passion. --- Data freshness: last scanned 2026-08-08T17:55:46.196Z. Cite as: New England Aquatic Landscaping — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/new-england-aquatic-landscaping-leicester) Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/new-england-aquatic-landscaping-leicester ## Sitemap [Full site index](https://tavlee.com/sitemap.md)