- (973) 985-2369
- rbgebhard@optonline.net
- Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM/ Closed on weekends
Garden Care & Planting Services in Chatham, 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. Chatham protects its trees more strictly than anywhere else I work, and that shapes what can be done in a garden 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.
The strictest tree rules in the county
Chatham Borough has had a Shade Tree Commission since 1909 — more than a century of formal tree management, and among the oldest in New Jersey. The Borough has been a Tree City USA community since May 2001, and its Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance reaches onto private property rather than stopping at the kerb.
The practical consequence is specific. A permit is required to cut down any tree over six inches in diameter, and it must be completed before the tree comes down. Chatham is one of the Morris County towns I work across, and it is the one where the sequence matters most: permission first, work second.
For a garden that means the canopy you have is largely the canopy you keep, so a planting plan is built for the light that exists rather than the light you might create. It also means beds get designed around root zones instead of through them.
- 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 drive worth making from Mount Arlington
The business is based at 109 Ondish Ct in Mount Arlington. Chatham is the furthest of the towns I regularly work in, at the southeastern edge of the county — close to the Passaic River and inside the Great Swamp watershed, which covers roughly 35,000 acres across ten towns.
Garden and landscaping services in Chatham, NJ
Eight services, all carried out personally. Most Chatham properties start with one job and move to regular visits once the beds are back under control.
Planting plans that work around protected trees
Planting plans built around the light and root systems already on your property, because in Chatham those are largely fixed. I lean on native plants suited to New Jersey conditions and to the shade that a long-protected canopy creates.
Mulching without disturbing root zones
Mulch holds moisture through a dry August and suppresses weeds before they seed. Around mature protected trees it also matters how it is applied — kept off trunks, at the right depth, and laid rather than dug in where roots run close to the surface.
Shrub trimming under a long-established canopy
Trimming timed and cut to encourage healthy growth rather than just reduce size. Under a century-old street canopy shrubs stretch for light, so trimming here is about keeping form on plants that would rather grow leggy.
Overgrowth removal within the rules
Careful clearing of overgrowth, invasives and shrubs that have outgrown their spot — with attention to what is and is not permitted. Anything woody over six inches in diameter is a permit conversation before it is a cutting job.
Spring and fall cleanups in Chatham
A spring cleanup in Chatham clears winter debris, cuts perennials back and opens beds up before growth starts. Under heavy canopy the autumn leaf load is substantial, and getting it off beds matters more here than in more open towns.
Licensed treatment in a protected watershed
Licensed treatment applied in person and targeted at the specific problem, not sprayed across a property as routine. Chatham sits in the Great Swamp watershed, so restraint about what goes down and where is simply the right way to work here.
What Chatham's tree ordinance means for your garden
Three things are worth knowing before any work that touches a tree on a Chatham property.
A permit for anything over six inches
Chatham Borough requires a permit to cut down any tree over six inches in diameter, and the ordinance extends to private property, not just street trees. Permits come from the Borough website or Borough Hall, and must be completed before removal. Diameter is measured at 4.5 feet from the ground, on the downhill side of the trunk.
A Commission dating from 1909
The Shade Tree Commission was established in 1909 and today consists of seven members with up to two alternates, appointed by the Mayor to five-year terms. Its remit covers planting and maintaining trees along Borough streets, rights of way and municipal open space, with the stated aim of optimum tree cover and species diversity.
Even street trees limit what you can do
Under the Borough’s tree chapter, no one may cut, prune, damage or remove a street tree, disturb its roots, spray it with any chemical or fasten anything to it without prior permission from the Shade Tree Commission. If a garden project comes near a street tree’s root zone, that is a conversation to have first.
Seasonal garden care across Chatham, NJ
Timing matters as much as technique, and under a canopy this old the shade arrives earlier in the season than most homeowners expect.
Spring, before the canopy closes
Cleanup first: winter debris off, perennials cut back, beds edged and opened up. There is a real window in early spring when light still reaches the ground before the canopy leafs out, and it is the best moment for anything that needs sun to establish.
Summer, deep shade and dry roots
The holding season. Weeding before anything sets seed, mulch topped up ahead of the dry stretch, shrubs shaped while actively growing. Mature trees take a great deal of water out of the ground, so beds beneath them run drier than they look.
Fall, and a serious leaf load
Fall does more for a Chatham garden than any other season, and under this much canopy it is also the heaviest. Beds cleared, perennials divided, and new planting put in. Leaves left thick on beds over winter smother rather than protect.
Winter, and permit planning
Quiet, but not empty. Dormant pruning on the species that want it, structural work on beds, and planning. It is the right time to start any permit application, since in Chatham nothing over six inches comes down without one.
Book a free estimate in Chatham
Free estimate, no obligation, and you’ll be talking to the person who does the work.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for anything over six inches in diameter, and the ordinance covers private property as well as street trees. Permits are available from the Borough website or Borough Hall and must be completed before the tree comes down. Diameter is measured at 4.5 feet from the ground on the downhill side.
Not without the Shade Tree Commission’s permission. Under the Borough’s tree chapter no one may cut, prune, damage or remove a street tree, disturb its roots, spray it or fasten anything to it without a prior permit. If a project comes near a street tree’s root zone, that is the first conversation.
Plenty, though probably not the plants you first had in mind. Under a canopy this established the answer is shade-tolerant planting, generous soil preparation and accepting that beds under mature trees run drier than they look because the tree takes the water first.
It was established in 1909, which makes it one of the oldest in New Jersey. It now has seven members and up to two alternates, appointed by the Mayor to five-year terms. The Borough has also been a Tree City USA community since May 2001.
It affects how sparingly. Chatham sits within a roughly 35,000-acre watershed. Licensed treatment is applied in person and targeted at a specific problem rather than sprayed across a property as routine.
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.
Call (973) 985-2369 or fill in the contact form. Estimates are free and there is no obligation to book.
Services in Chatham
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.