- (973) 985-2369
- rbgebhard@optonline.net
- Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM/ Closed on weekends
Local Gardener & Landscaping in Mount Arlington, NJ
I’m Russel Gebhard — sole operator, and the person who both quotes your job and does it. Gebhard Horticulture & Design is based here, at 109 Ondish Ct. Mount Arlington is home, which makes it the easiest borough in the county for me to get to and the one I know best.
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 highest ground I work on
Mount Arlington sits at about 1,079 feet — higher than any other town I work in, and several hundred feet above the low ground in Parsippany. The borough covers just 2.8 square miles, nearly a quarter of which is water, running from the southeastern shore of Lake Hopatcong down to Route 80.
Elevation is the whole story for a garden here. Mount Arlington is one of the Morris County towns I work across, and it has the shortest growing season of them. Spring arrives later, the first frost comes sooner, and wind exposure on the higher slopes is real. A planting plan lifted from a catalogue written for the lowlands will disappoint you by the second season.
Lake Hopatcong sits at roughly 950 feet with over fifty miles of shoreline, and it moderates conditions close to the water while the ground above it stays exposed. Two properties a few streets apart can be working to noticeably different calendars.
- 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
This is home — 109 Ondish Ct
Gebhard Horticulture & Design is based at 109 Ondish Ct, Mount Arlington, NJ 07856. Every other town I serve is measured as a drive from here, which means Mount Arlington properties are the easiest to schedule and the simplest to fit in for a quick visit.
Seasonal garden care across Mount Arlington, NJ
Timing matters as much as technique, and at 1,079 feet the calendar runs shorter at both ends than almost anywhere else in the county.
Spring arrives late up here
Cleanup first: winter debris off, perennials cut back, beds edged and opened up. Planting waits longer than it does down the hill — ground that is workable in Parsippany can still be cold here. Rushing it is the most common mistake I see on Mount Arlington properties.
Summer, and the wind off the lake
The holding season. Weeding before anything sets seed, mulch topped up ahead of the dry stretch, shrubs shaped while actively growing. Exposed slopes dry faster than sheltered ones, and wind does as much drying as sun does on the higher lots.
Fall closes first at 1,079 feet
Fall does more for a garden than any other season, and here it ends soonest. Beds cleared, perennials divided, and new planting in early enough to root. If you wait for the weather that suits the rest of the county, the window has already closed in Mount Arlington.
Winter, exposure shows
Quiet, but not empty. Dormant pruning on the species that want it, and winter is when wind and cold damage on exposed plantings becomes visible — the clearest guide to what should be moved or replaced in spring.
Garden and landscaping services in Mount Arlington, NJ
Eight services, all carried out personally, on my own doorstep. Most Mount Arlington properties start with one job and move to regular visits.
Planting plans for a short, high season
Planting plans built for 1,079 feet rather than for the county average — hardy, wind-tolerant and timed to a season that opens late and closes early. I lean on native plants suited to New Jersey conditions, which handle exposure here far better than tender ornamentals do.
Mulching on exposed Mount Arlington slopes
Mulch holds moisture through a dry August and suppresses weeds before they seed. On the borough’s sloped, wind-exposed lots it also insulates roots through a colder winter than the lowlands get, and it needs to be the sort that stays put on a grade.
Shrub trimming with a tighter window
Trimming timed and cut to encourage healthy growth rather than just reduce size. The cutting window is narrower up here — leave soft new growth exposed too late in the year and the first hard frost finds it.
Clearing on preserved-land boundaries
Careful clearing of overgrowth, invasives and shrubs that have outgrown their spot. Much of the northern borough is preserved land, and properties on that edge get steady pressure from outside the boundary every season.
Cleanups booked early in the borough
A spring cleanup in Mount Arlington clears winter debris, cuts perennials back and opens beds up. Fall cleanups here need booking sooner than anywhere else I work, because the season closes first at this elevation.
Licensed treatment above Lake Hopatcong
Licensed treatment applied in person and targeted at the specific problem, not sprayed across a property as routine. Above New Jersey’s largest lake, with preserved land through the borough, restraint is the only sensible way to work.
What the Highlands designation means here
Mount Arlington is a small borough with an unusual amount of protected ground, and that shapes what happens at the edges of a property.
Part of the borough sits in a Preservation Area
In 2011 the Highlands Council approved a petition from Mount Arlington to bring its local planning and regulatory documents into alignment with the Highlands Regional Master Plan, for the Preservation Area portion of the borough only. The Council has since funded several planning initiatives here. If your property sits in that portion, land-disturbance rules are stricter than elsewhere in the county.
Most preserved land is in the north
The borough holds a considerable amount of preserved land, concentrated in its northern part, with the commercial area to the south around the Village Center, Howard Boulevard and the Route 80 interchange. Gardens backing onto preserved ground see more wildlife pressure and faster edge growth than lots nearer the centre.
A borough built around the lake
Mount Arlington was incorporated in 1890 and grew as a lake resort — the Breslin Hotel stood in Van Every Cove with 250 rooms and electric light. That history is why the older streets run steeply down towards the water on small, mature lots, which is a very different gardening proposition from the newer development near Route 80.
Book a free estimate in Mount Arlington
Free estimate, no obligation, and you’ll be talking to the person who does the work — who is based in the borough.
Frequently asked questions
Generally, yes. Gebhard Horticulture & Design is at 109 Ondish Ct in the borough, so Mount Arlington properties are the easiest to schedule and the simplest to drop in on for a quick look.
Elevation. Mount Arlington sits at about 1,079 feet, several hundred feet above the lower townships. Spring arrives later and the first frost comes sooner, so the season is shorter at both ends. Planting to a lowland calendar is the most common mistake here.
Yes. Much of the northern borough is preserved, and gardens on that boundary see more wildlife pressure and faster edge growth. Those lots do better on a maintenance rhythm than on one visit a year.
In 2011 the Highlands Council approved Mount Arlington’s petition to align its planning and regulatory documents with the Highlands Regional Master Plan for the Preservation Area portion of the borough. If your property falls within it, land-disturbance rules are stricter, so check before any significant ground work.
On the higher and more exposed lots, very much so. Wind dries soil as effectively as sun does and damages tender growth over winter. It is a large part of why I weight planting here towards hardy, wind-tolerant species.
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 Mount Arlington
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.