Angie's List: Bubbling boulders a ton of backyard enjoyment

The slow trickle of running water puts many folks at ease.

Water features like this 1-ton bubbling boulder bring enhanced visual and auditory appeal to a backyard.

“If a water feature is done well, it can be a great investment for your house and can provide long-lasting relaxation to your family,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List.

Bubbling boulders come in all shapes and sizes.

“Unlike fountains where they are pre-built, a kit kind of thing, this is its own thing, so there’s nothing like it anywhere else,” said David Gorden, a landscape architect with Mark H. Holeman Inc.

David LaFara finds bubbling boulder candidates both large and small at Midwestern quarries.

“They have a lot of stuff, it’s all set up palletized ready to rock and roll, it’s all in lines. I don’t want the next in line, I want the best in line,” said David LaFara, of Tiffany Lawn and Garden Supply.

After a customer picks out a rock, LaFara drills the holes where the water comes out.

Once placed on-property and hooked up to plumbing, it’s time for finishing touches.

“We’ll finish it up with decoration, there’ll be some Mexican beach pebbles around the base, there’ll be plantings all around it. When it’s all said and done, it’ll be a nice feature in a beautiful setting,” said Gorden.