Just when you thought it was safe to do some gentle pruning around the garden, up comes another news article telling you how a poor man had the misfortune to fall on his own pruning shears and impales his head.

Yes, gardens are a dangerous place when you have sharp tools around and have a lapse of concentration. We have all read stories of people falling from trees or cutting their arms off with chainsaws. Sometimes it is just sheer stupidity, but others it is a sad case of people just having a moment's lapse of concentration and then.... bang ..... straight to hospital.

In this recent incident reported in the Independent (31st Aug), the elderly man from Arizona, Leroy Luetscher, 86, was happily pruning in his garden when he dropped his shears, bent down to pick them up, lost his balance and fell face down onto them. It penetrated his eye socket and went into his neck. The local surgeons managed to save his eye by re-building the socket with metal mesh. Lucky man.

At 86 any person should be encouraged to enjoy the garden and help out with a little maintenance. However, if you have a relative or loved one that is prone to accidents or the work is just getting too challenging, give your local landscapers a call on 0141 880 6555 and we can tidy up that garden for as little as £10 per hour. Even cheaper if you want regular work done.