- (973) 985-2369
- rbgebhard@optonline.net
- Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM/ Closed on weekends
Landscaping & Garden Services in Parsippany, NJ
I’m Russel Gebhard — sole operator, and the person who both quotes your job and does it. Since 1987 I’ve looked after gardens across Morris County. Parsippany sits low and wet, and that single fact shapes almost every planting decision here.
Morris County since 1987
Nearly four decades caring for gardens in this county.
One gardener, start to finish
Russel is the sole operator and handles every detail himself.
Licensed pesticide application
Eco-friendly treatment, applied in person.
Free estimates
Call (973) 985-2369 or send the form. No cost, no obligation.
Low ground, wet meadow and 3,100 acres of preserve
Parsippany-Troy Hills sits at about 302 feet of elevation, lower than most of Morris County, and it holds Troy Meadows — a 3,100-acre nature preserve designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967 and one of the surviving remnants of Glacial Lake Passaic. Nearly 7% of the township’s 25 square miles is water.
That geology is still in the soil. Parsippany is one of the Morris County towns I work across, and it is the one where wet-meadow conditions turn up in ordinary back gardens — beds that hold water for days, heavy soil that compacts if you work it too early, and plant choices that succeed or fail on drainage rather than light.
The township’s own development rules acknowledge it. In the district bordering Troy Meadows, stormwater basin landscaping must use planting indigenous to wet meadow areas or tolerant of periodically wet and dry conditions. That is a reasonable standard for a garden here too, and it is the principle a planting plan should start from.
- Residential and select commercial properties
- One-time visits or ongoing garden maintenance
- Eco-minded practice and thoughtful plant selection
- Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
A short drive from Mount Arlington
The business is based at 109 Ondish Ct in Mount Arlington, about twenty-five minutes from Parsippany. That covers Lake Parsippany, Lake Hiawatha, Mount Tabor, Rainbow Lakes and the Hills of Troy, plus the streets off Parsippany Boulevard and Route 46.
Garden and landscaping services in Parsippany, NJ
Eight services, all carried out personally. Most Parsippany properties start with one job and move to regular visits once the beds are back under control.
Planting plans for wet Parsippany soil
Planting plans built around how your ground actually drains, which on this side of the county is the first question rather than the last. I lean on native plants suited to New Jersey conditions, weighted towards species that tolerate periodically wet and dry ground — the same standard the township applies to its own basin planting.
Mulching on ground that drains slowly
Mulch holds moisture through a dry August and suppresses weeds before they seed. On heavy Parsippany soil depth matters more than usual: too much and it holds water against crowns on ground that is already slow to drain.
Shrub trimming for humid, sheltered lots
Trimming timed and cut to encourage healthy growth rather than just reduce size. Near the meadows and the lake sections air moves less and humidity sits higher, so opening a shrub up matters as much as shaping it.
Overgrowth removal on preserve boundaries
Careful clearing of overgrowth, invasives and shrubs that have outgrown their spot. Backing onto wet meadow means fast, dense growth arriving at the property line every season — held yearly it stays a boundary, left alone it becomes a reclamation job.
Cleanups timed to the ground drying
A spring cleanup in Parsippany clears winter debris, cuts perennials back and opens beds up. Fall decides how the next spring goes — and on low ground, getting sodden leaf litter off beds before winter is the highest-value job of the year.
Licensed treatment beside a protected wetland
Licensed treatment applied in person and targeted at the specific problem, not sprayed across a property as routine. With a National Natural Landmark wetland inside the township, restraint about what goes down and where is not optional in spirit.
Seasonal garden care across Parsippany, NJ
Timing matters as much as technique, and on ground this low the calendar is set by when the soil dries rather than by the date on it.
Spring, and waiting on the soil
Cleanup first: winter debris off, perennials cut back, beds edged and opened up. Planting waits until the ground has drained, not merely warmed. Heavy soil worked wet compacts, and compacted soil here stays compacted for years.
Summer, humidity off the meadows
The holding season. Weeding before anything sets seed, mulch topped up ahead of the dry stretch, shrubs shaped while actively growing. Humidity sits higher near the meadows, so spacing and airflow do more for plant health here than watering does.
Fall, clearing before the wet arrives
Fall does more for a Parsippany garden than any other season. Beds cleared, perennials divided, and new planting put in while the ground is still workable. On low beds, leaf litter left down over winter is how a bed rots instead of resting.
Winter, and the new tree rules
Quiet, but not empty. Dormant pruning on the species that want it, structural work on beds, and planning. It is also the sensible time to look into any tree work, given the township has been revising its tree ordinance.
What Parsippany's tree rules are becoming
Parsippany has a longer formal relationship with its trees than almost anywhere in the state, and the rules around them are currently changing.
A Tree City since 1976
Parsippany-Troy Hills was one of only two New Jersey municipalities certified under the national Tree City USA program in 1976 — the other was Paramus. Nearly fifty years of formal community forestry is why the mature canopy over much of the township looks the way it does, and why the shade budget on established properties is generally fixed rather than negotiable.
The tree ordinance is being revised
In September 2025 the township council took up a revised tree ordinance driven by a state mandate, aimed at managing stormwater runoff and flooding while balancing property rights. Tree removal already runs through the Parks and Forestry department with its own removal form. If you are planning work that touches an established tree, confirm the current requirement rather than relying on what applied a few years ago.
Runoff is the reason
The thread connecting all of it is water. Tree cover slows runoff and keeps rain soaking into the ground rather than travelling across it, which in a township sitting at 302 feet beside 3,100 acres of wet meadow is a practical concern rather than an abstract one. What happens to trees upslope changes what arrives at your beds.
Book a free estimate in Parsippany
Free estimate, no obligation, and you’ll be talking to the person who does the work.
Frequently asked questions
A fair amount, though rarely by fighting it. On low ground the answer is usually bed height, soil structure, correct mulch depth and species that tolerate periodically wet and dry conditions — the same standard the township applies to its own stormwater basin planting. Rebuilding a bed to suit the water beats draining it every season.
Check the current position before booking work. Tree removal runs through the Parks and Forestry department with its own removal form, and in September 2025 the council took up a revised tree ordinance under a state mandate aimed at stormwater and flooding. What applied a few years ago may not apply now.
Yes. Troy Meadows is a 3,100-acre preserve and a National Natural Landmark, and properties on its edge see fast, dense growth arriving at the boundary every season. Those gardens do better on a maintenance rhythm than on one annual visit.
The whole township — Lake Parsippany, Lake Hiawatha, Mount Tabor, Rainbow Lakes, the Hills of Troy, and the streets off Parsippany Boulevard and Route 46.
Russel Gebhard, personally. He is the owner and sole operator and handles every detail himself, from planning through to execution. No subcontractors, no rotating crews.
Both. Residential and select commercial properties, either as a single visit — a spring or fall cleanup, a bed redesign, an overgrowth clearance — or as ongoing garden maintenance through the season.
Fall, and earlier than most people book. Sodden leaf litter left on low beds over winter is how they rot rather than rest. Spring cleanup waits for the ground to drain — working heavy soil wet compacts it for years.
Call (973) 985-2369 or fill in the contact form. Estimates are free and there is no obligation to book.
Services in Parsippany
Contact Gebhard Horticulture & Design
Gebhard Horticulture & Design
109 Ondish Ct, Mount Arlington, NJ 07856
Phone: (973) 985-2369
Email: rbgebhard@optonline.net
Hours:
Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
Closed weekends
Serving Morristown and the surrounding Morris County communities.