MENDHAM TOWNSHIP -- Gardening enthusiasts – or those who just want to learn about gardening – are invited to volunteer to restore the celebrated Walled Garden on the former Pitney Farm property that is now known as the Mendham Township Historic Park at Pitney Farm.

The Township is turning the open space into a seven-acre park, slated to open in September 2021, and the Walled Garden will enjoy a prominent place in the finished product.

Under the guidance of resident Bill Moran, a Rutgers Master Gardener, volunteers will have the opportunity to return this Township gem into its former status as a quiet oasis on the Pitney family’s one-time estate.

The plan is to work one day a week – from 10 a.m. until noon on Tuesdays – starting in mid-April or early May. Volunteers of any age or experience are welcome and should contact Bill directly at 973-219-8989 for details and to sign up.

Pitney Farm was a working agricultural operation in Mendham from the early 1700s. Over time most of its acreage was developed into the residential neighborhoods adjacent to Cold Hill Road and Mendham Road (County Road 513).The remaining 12.5-acre tract was acquired by the Township in the late 2000s, with seven acres set aside, in partnership with Morris County, as permanently preserved open space. The Walled Garden, a greenhouse area, Seed House and the gazebo are the remaining structures on the open space.