The Milford Daily News Sunday Edition
“Hopedale man
leaves high tech field for koi ponds”
By Teri Borseti
/ Daily News Correspondent
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Tom
Frost inspects the water garden at his Hopedale home. (Mike Springer
photo)
MENDON -- Less than two years ago, Hopedale resident Tom
Frost spent his days at a computer in an office.
During his off-time, the computer architect dabbled in
creating ponds as a hobby, and then one day he decided to follow his dream. He
left the high tech business world for the great outdoors. His
keyboard, mouse and software were replaced with stones, plants and water -- and
he couldn’t be happier.
After forming MetroWest Gardens in April 2004, Frost became
certified by Aquascape Designs of St. Charles, Ill. Aquascape Designs is the
largest water garden builder in the country and provides its list of contractors
with training and certification, customer referrals and pond supplies.
Last month, Frost and other certified water contractors from
across the country attended a semi-annual meeting sponsored by Aquascape
Designs in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While enjoying the sun and sea,
the group was asked to participate in an unexpected team project, one that was
right up Frost’s alley.
"We
headed to Mexico for a regular meeting and the owner of the conference center
where our meeting was held asked us if we would consider building a waterfall at
another of his buildings just down the beach," Frost explained. The building is the home of the American Leadership Academy,
a nonprofit organization that offers education and training programs to college
students, as well as meetings with a variety of business
leaders.
"We
were in Mexico for a meeting, and the next thing I knew we knew we were digging
out this beautiful new waterfall at the entry point to a wonderful oceanside
estate that belongs to the ALA," Frost said. "We had a great
time." The group transformed a weedy hill into a 25-foot
pondless waterfall in just five hours.
"We
knew they were planning something because they had shipped all the materials
down there. We just didn’t realize that we were going to do it," Frost
said. "Digging out the sand wasn’t bad but carrying the rocks up
50 stairs from the beach was tough. It turned out just beautiful."
The
labor of love was just one of many events Frost is currently
juggling.
Over
the past 18 months, he has turned boring yards all over MetroWest and the
Worcester area into exotic havens, and he’s looking forward to a very busy
spring and summer.
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