gardener

A WIDOW is set to sue a utilities station operator after her husband was electrocuted while pruning hedges.

Gardener Blair Campbell, 35, was carrying out work on an ivy-covered bush when he accidentally came into contact with a substation wire in October 2022.

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The dad-of-two was airlifted to hospital following the horror but tragically died shortly after.

An inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court found that Blair from electrocution.

The victim’s widow, Tina, says she is yet to receive any apology from SP Energy Networks – part of Scottish Power – who operated the station.

She now says she will sue the company to get damages for her husband’s death.

Tina, who lives in Mobberley with her two children, said she had received no apology or compensation from Scottish Power.

She said: “There was not a lot we could do prior to the inquest. Because of the complexity of the case and involvement by HSE and the police that delayed things and we had to wait two years for the inquest.

“My solicitors have been in touch since the inquest with Scottish Power sending paperwork, but basically there has been silence.

“As a result my solicitors have had to put the matter back into the courts.

“I believe that Scottish Power now has 28 days to respond after they were put on notice of our intentions.

“If that fails we will have to apply for a court date, which is unlikely to be before autumn next year. This would drag it out for another 12 months.

“The inquest was over three days with a jury and the conclusion was that they (the power company) ‘more than likely contributed to the death of Blair’ due to the lack of maintenance.”

The inquest was told Blair ran firm, Blue Kiwi Gardens and Maintenance, after moving to the UK from New Zealand to be with Tina.

On October 3, 2022, he had gone to work to prune the hedge when he suffered the fatal shock.

Thick ivy on the bush had covered warning signs about the substation – meaning Blair was unaware of the danger underneath.

The court was told that before Blair’s death, numerous reports had been made about a need to remove the ivy that were not acted on.

SP Energy Networks, which maintains the substation, has now made changes to its health and safety policy.

WE’VE all done it.

Spotting a plant you think will look amazing in your garden – rushing out to buy it – and then realising that on its own it suddenly looks, well, a bit naff.

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But happily, a new book by Jamie Butterworth could be about to banish the embarrassment of a badly put together garden for good.

‘What Grows Together’ – which comes out next weekend – offers up over 60 ‘fail safe plant combinations for every garden’ with no confusing horticultural jargon or lecturing.

You may recognise Jamie from his RHS Show Feature Dog Garden at Chelsea Flower Show this year – which he created alongside Monty Don and DJ Jo Whiley.

He’s appeared many times on Gardeners World, and cites Monty Don as the gardener who inspired him to get into horticulture.

His nursery Form Plants also supplies plants to Windsor Castle – and when he met King Charles at Chelsea Flower Show, the King said: ‘I know Jamie — you are delivering plants to me on Wednesday. Please don’t be late.’”

But it was another famous Jamie that actually inspired his book.
“I love cooking, but I never know what ingredients to put together as to what will taste nice,” he told Sun gardening.

“But when I came across Jamie Oliver’s Five Ingredients Book – where he just goes – take these ingredients and do this and this is what you’ll get, it was just brilliant. It was exactly what I needed.

“I just thought – we need to do this for gardening. We’ve even laid it out like a recipe book – in terms of making it look really crisp and simple – it’s like no other gardening book that’s ever been written.

“There’s so much synergy between cooking and gardening – people want to garden, they want to have nice gardens but they’re time poor and they don’t know what to plant that will a. Survive and b. look good, and that was the starting premise of the book.

“We’re forever learning with plants – my particular passion is growing plants, putting them together and making nice displays – it’s how I like to make people happy.

“It’s about getting rid of the old gardening rules – the ‘you must do this, you must do that, you must plant carrots at this exact time or everything will fail.

“What I wanted to do was make growing more accessible – there is no right way – but learning even just a few combinations and what will grow well together – then that gives people confidence to have a go themselves.”

“Jamie’s an idol of mine – and I want to make gardening as accessible as he did for cooking.

“You pay garden designers hundreds of pounds to tell you where to put plants – hopefully this book will negate all of that and give people the accessibility they need to go ‘oh actually this is what I need to do’ and it’s that simple.”

JAMIES’ FAVOURITE COMBINATIONS

COMBINATION ONE
Hydrangeas Limelight and Agastache Blackadder – both plants individually are brilliant and will flower for a long long time each – Hydrangeas from June to Autumn and even once they’ve finished flowering they’ll hold their seed heads and look great in the winter. Agastache Blackadder is a perennial and has dark purple liquorice flowers and if you plant the two together the darkness of the Agastache looks brilliant against the white of the hydrangea – but will also grow up through it. If you want to add to it – just add in some yellow Cosmos.

COMBINATION 2
Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’, Japanese Forest Grass, Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’
Calycanthus has really rich ruby wine red flowers which look stunning in their own right. It flowers from late May through to September/October, leg it up by taking off lower branches – then you’ve got a specimen rather than just a shrub – and underplant with Hakonechloa Macra – AKA Japanese forest grass and the Penstemon with dark rich ruby colour flowers the same as the calycanthus. Individually they’re great plants – but put together that’s an incredible combination.

 What Grows Together: Fail-safe Plant Combinations for Every Garden by Jamie Butterworth (11 September, DK)

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

News, top tips, Plant of the Week and a competition to win two hedge trimmers

NEWS! Catherine’s Rose is finally available to buy on the high street – with B&Q taking the honours as the main bricks and mortar stockist.
Named after HRH Princess Kate, and launching in store at the end of this month, funds from every sale will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The pink ‘Catherine’s Rose’, which is scented, was developed by Harkness Roses – and in May we ran a competition for Sun Readers to become the first in the world to own a rose.
Now everyone can get one from their local B&Q..
The RHS and Harkness joined forces with Kate after she underwent a “very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection” with nature after undergoing treatment for cancer.
The princess announced in January she was in remission after completing a course of preventative chemotherapy.

WIN! WIn one of two Webb ECO 20V 15cm Cordless Mini Chainsaw/Pruning Saws with Telescopic Pole Reach PLUS battery – worth £124.99 each. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/WebbPruner or write to
Sun Webb Pruner competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. September 20, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Heuchera Berry Timeless is evergreen and will still be sending up sprays of pale pink flowers well into September. It’s heat resistant and hardy – and doesn’t seem fussy about soil or shade or too much sun.

JOB OF THE WEEK! You can start with your onion sets now – to overwinter and get a bountiful crop next year. Red Winter is a great one to get in the ground. Potatoes and raspberries are ready to harvest and sweetpeas can be sown under cover.

TOP TIP! IF you fancy growing your own salad leaves over Winter – now is the time to start.
Lambs Lettuce is very hardy and perfect for Winter Gardens. Get the seeds in the soil now – either in pockets you know are milder – or in a cold frame.
The best thing about sowing rocket is that you’ll get your first crop with four to six weeks – and it also thrives in cooler temperatures.
If you plant Arctic Spring butterhead lettuce now – you’ll get a crop early next year. But also keep an eye out in garden centres, as they often sell a ‘Winter Mix’. Sarah Raven currently has one that includes ‘Can Can’, ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons.’

NEWS! Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is taking place from September 19th to 21st. As well as the usual floral marquees – there’s an Incredible Edible pavilion showcasing the best fruit and vegetables – as well as the giant versions – including a National Onion Championship. Plus talks, live demonstrations, expert gardening advice and competitions. And there’s a plant creche so you don’t have to carry your purchases round all day.