Gardening for life.

Gardening for people, land and the life that we share it with.

Find out more.

  • I travel to gardens by bicycle and trailer. This means I don’t need to travel by motor vehicle, reducing my reliance on fossil fuels and contribution to other related pollution both locally and . Travelling by bicycle does, however, limit the distance I am able to travel.

    I can work in the following postcodes for a minimum of 2 hours:

    E10 (Leyton)

    E11 (Leytonstone & Wanstead

    E17 (Walthamstow)

    I can work in the following postcodes for a minimum of 3.5 hours:

    E4 (Chingford)

    E5 (Clapton)

    E7 (Forest Gate)

  • For more information on the types of gardening services that I offer, please check out the ‘gardening services’ tab at the top of the page or click on the following links: Maintenance gardening; Gardening for wildlife; Fruit tree care; Forest garden design & maintenance; Home composting; Sheds, fences & planters.

  • For life.

    Our gardens are spaces that we share with numerous other life-forms, both wild and cultivated. In Greater London, private, domestic gardens make up approximately 23% of landcover.In recent decades, this space has been transforming from green to grey as vegetation is removed and replaced with materials such as paving and concrete that are often impermeable to life and water. This is often done with little sensitivity to or consideration of the wider impacts of an impermeable city and can result in urban flooding and increasingly fragmented habitats.

    The good news is, we can have a massive impact on that 23% of land cover if we tend our gardens in ways that are supportive and sustaining of life. There is an amazing opportunity here.

    We can totally realise ecologically rich gardenscapes that are beautiful, useful and provide us with joy and nourishment. Green spaces that are full of life can help us to relax and be at peace in a busy, often stressful city. They can also provide us and our communities with food; food free from the chemical fertilisers and pesticides that blight so much of the affordable food that is available to us today; food that can be shared; food that is healthy, diverse, interesting, sustaining of life.

    All this said, I fully appreciate the need to consider access in gardens and am very aware of the constraints on time that might motivate people to want a lower maintenance garden. I am keen to discuss and to work with people to find a balance that works for all.

  • I currently charge a basic rate of £32.50 per hour for the first two hours of work and £29.50 per hour for any additional hours*.

    I charge for a minimum of 2 hours per gardening session.

    For more information on my pricing, please see here: www.jonnythelivinggardener.co.uk/pricing

    *I aim to increase my rate annually in line with increases of the London Living Wage by the Living Wage Foundation. This tends to be announced in the Autumn. I aim to inform clients of the price increase at this time with changes to my hourly charge being implemented from 1st January each year.

Gardening enquiries.

For new gardening enquiries please email me at jonny.the.living.gardener@gmail.com. If this isn’t possible, you can also get in touch via WhatsApp, text message or phone call at 07355 301 250.

I shall endeavour to be in touch as soon as possible after receiving your enquiry - please be aware that I only work part-time as Jonny the Living Gardener so it may sometimes take around a week to get back to you. After making initial contact, please fill out the short questionnaire at the following link: https://forms.gle/9QgESrj1Q4NpYUyGA. This helps me to work out what you hope to achieve in your garden and to ascertain whether I will be the right person for the job.

Before taking on new clients, I will also arrange to come out and visit your garden for a free half hour appointment to get a better understanding of your growing space and your vision for it.

Client testimonials.

  • “Jonny has been brilliant to work with and I'd highly recommend his services! He has a real passion for plants and gardens which comes through in everything he does and carried out the work to clear an over grown and out of control ivy bush wonderfully, taking real care to watch out for nesting birds and not to damage walls it had attached itself. He went over and above to help me find a way to dispose of the garden waste and his communication has been excellent. He tidied up beautifully and my courtyard looks amazing now! He's a joy to work with and I know I'll be asking for his help again.“

    Beth (Walthamstow)

  • “Jonny did repairs to my shed and created a bespoke potting table from an upcycled scaffold board for me. He is a pleasure to work with as he is a hard working, skilled, practical problem solver, passionate about completing any job in the most sustainable, planet friendly way. I have already recommended him to lots of people in the local area.”

    Cathy (Walthamstow)

  • “One of the trees in my garden had become way too big, was overshadowing other plants and taking away too much light. Jonny came to take it down and did the whole thing so quietly, peacefully and surprisingly quickly. Not a power tool in sight!

    Another tree was looking a bit ungainly, and needed thinning, it had got too tall. We talked it over and in the end Jonny took out only a few carefully chosen branches – it made all the difference aesthetically and I felt he respected the tree’s own nature (as well as his client’s wishes….)

    I felt Jonny somehow worked ‘with’ the garden, as well as with me, and was gentle in what he did. He also cleared up every single branch afterwards, bundling them up and taking them away. Highly recommend him to anyone who cares about their garden.”

    Francesca (North London)

  • “Jonny did excellent work for me.

    He is totally trustworthy and conscientious.

    His charges are reasonable and worth every penny.

    I can highly recemmend him."

    Theresa (Walthamstow)