WhatsApp
John with all his kit in 2019

All about J. Wallwork & Co.

Read about us, and check our FAQ

Golden Yew topiary maintenance in Pembury

Meet John

Hi, I’m John! I have a lifelong love of nature, plants, and the outdoors. I’ve lived in Pembury my whole life except for a 4 month stint in Cumbria in 2013 which propelled me into forestry. Following that I studied for a diploma in forestry and arboriculture, and have since worked with various gardeners and tree surgeons before starting J. Wallwork & Co. in 2017 to offer my skills direct to customers. Following a bout of burnout in 2019 I took a couple of years of reduced activity to recuperate and then returned to work in May 2022, implementing what I learned from the experience to make many behind the scenes improvements.
My hobbies include observing nature, repairing machinery, looking after my garden and greenhouse, learning how things work and dabbling in IT. I live at an extremely biodiverse off-grid community and enjoy maintaining and improving the land for both nature and people alike. I strive to be as low impact as possible, heating my home and cooking on wood and sourcing most of my electricity from my DIY solar array.
I have mild autism, which means I enjoy doing detailed, methodical tasks (like straight lines on a hedge or lawn, precision tree pruning, coding etc.) and mild ADHD which enables me to hyperfocus on certain tasks. I’m very friendly and honest to a fault. I look forward to working for you!

– John

Swing sign for J. Wallwork & Co. gardeners near Tunbridge Wells

About J. Wallwork & Co.

Based in Pembury, J. Wallwork & Co. started trading in 2017 offering high precision garden maintenance in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas.
J. Wallwork & Co. is a "one man band" company, owned and run by John Wallwork. We hire specialists as and when needed to complete your work in a timely manner. We have a selection of specialists available, so we bring along the appropriate people to complete your job to a high standard.
We prioritise perfection, precision, and efficiency and utilise a vast and ever expanding set of 'tricks of the trade' to do the job right, efficiently. We re-invest heavily into top-of-the-range specialist tools and equipment to ensure our reliability and precision continue to be industry leading.

Yew hedge trimming and reduction in Pembury

Frequently Asked Questions

How does it work? First, contact us for a quote. We will respond, arrange a date and time, and pay you a visit. Next, we'll offer you a no obligation quote. If you accept, we'll agree a date to start work, and we'll turn up on that date. Once the work is complete, we'll send you an invoice.
How soon can you do my job? We're not currently experiencing a backlog so we should be able to carry out most work within 1-3 weeks from when you contact us.
Can you remove waste? Yes, we can remove any green or wood based waste and we hold the appropriate waste carrier's license. Let us know you'd like the waste removed, and we'll add it into your quote.
What are your payment terms? We will send you an invoice when we complete your work and prefer instant payment by bank transfer, cash, or cheque.
I'm concerned about you leaving mess in my neighbour's garden No problem! We will knock on your neighbour's door and ask to tidy up any waste we drop into their garden while carrying out our work.
Can I have my hedge trimmed during bird nesting season? The answer is "it depends". If we can clearly see that there are no active bird nests in your hedge, it is OK and legal to trim during nesting season. If we can't verify there are no active nests, we'll book you in after the end of nesting season. The RSPB recommends waiting until nesting season is over to be safe.
What do you do with my waste? Your waste will usually be recycled for use as either biomass or mulch.
Is my job to big/small for you? We can handle jobs of all shapes and sizes. Contact us and we'll be happy to pay you a visit to discuss specifics.
Do you have insurance? Yes, we have £5,000,000 public liability insurance and also hold employer's insurance.
Do you work to BS3998 standards? We do not claim to work to BS3998 standards. BS3998 is very rigid - trees are dynamic living beings. We are trained in correct maintenance practices for trees and act based on what the tree and its surroundings dictate. This often means working within BS3998 standards anyway, but not always, so we don't make that claim.
I live in a conservation area. Will this affect my garden/tree maintenance? Most work should be unaffected, however if the work involves reducing hedges or cutting live wood on established trees, then we will need to submit a works permission application to the local planning department.
My tree(s) are covered by a TPO (Tree Preservation Order). Will this be a problem? No, this shouldn't be a problem as long as the requested work is justifiable. We can submit an application for permission to work on your trees to the local planning department, or refer you to a colleague who can work with you to complete your project without breaching planning law.
How often should I have my hedges trimmed? We recommend trimming your hedges at minimum once per year for maintenance. To achieve the smoothest and straightest appearance, trimming 2 or more times per year is advisable for most hedge species.
When should I prune my trees? For most species, pruning while dormant (i.e. during Winter) is the best approach. Some species (e.g: Prunus) should be pruned during warm, dry weather to prevent disease. The RHS has more information about when to prune trees.