Long Island native opens Morganton business focused on ponds, koi and hardscapes

One step into Morganton Ponds & Hardscapes’ showroom, customers will see a two-tier water fountain. Take a few more steps, and a rocky pond comes into view on the right, while on the left, dozens of koi fish can be seen swirling around their tanks.

At 410 S. Sterling St. in Morganton, the business offers a wide range of services, including pond construction and maintenance, paver and walkway installation, and custom concrete artistry. Its well-stocked showroom features equipment and supplies for maintaining ponds and other water features.

The operation uniquely combines heavy site development, artistic water feature design, live koi fish expertise, and an experiential retail showroom into a single specialty business unlike any that previously existed locally.

Those interested can also purchase koi fish. Owner Jack Eso said the business even offers medical treatment for fish who fall ill.

Eso owns Ponds & Hardscapes and RoseBrooke Site Development. RoseBrooke offers grading and drainage services, plus installation of retaining walls — “We handle the heavy work, so your property stays strong, level, and ready for what’s next,” according to the website.

RoseBrooke, he said, combines his eldest daughter’s middle name with his youngest daughter’s first name. Morganton Ponds & Hardscapes was strategically named so that, when people search for those terms, the business that is likely to pop up first is his.

For Eso, Ponds & Hardscapes is a manifestation of his lifelong love for waterscapes and fish, which started with his first fish tank at 6 years old.

“(I’ve) always had a freshwater aquarium, having different types of catfish or cichlids … because they’re really colorful,” Eso said. “And I remember it was always enjoyable for me to go to different fish stores; look at something I didn’t have or just look for something that I wanted to get into next.”

The 38-year-old Long Island native worked in heavy construction, building roads and bridges long before he landed in Burke. It was the city’s “craziness (and) busy-ness,” plus the high expenses that prompted a move to North Carolina.

Eso initially lived in Marion and worked in Asheville, notably on Interstate 26. Side jobs began trickling in, and eventually Eso decided to go his own way. A year and a half after their move to Marion, the Eso family purchased a home in Morganton. Morganton was where they wanted to be, Eso said.

RoseBrooke was formed in 2020. In March 2024, Eso formed Ponds & Hardscapes, then opened the showroom in downtown Morganton in October 2025.

Prices vary depending on the service. Eso said Koi ponds start at $10,000, but a goldfish pond would be around $6,000. A typical hardscape project starts at about $25,000, but a fountainscape project starts at about $3,000. Pond consultations and site visits are free.

“I want to just say that we’re here to help with any questions, because I know people can get into trouble quick with their ponds,” Eso said. “We are dealing with live animals and want people to be able to enjoy them.”