HAVE you got too many plants this year? Or do you have any small unwanted items others may be able to put to good use?

If so, you can take part in a special Plant Swap and Freecycle event in Minehead next month.

Transition Minehead and Alcombe, in partnership with Forum 21 and LETS, are holding the annual event on Saturday, May 12, from 10am until Noon at the Methodist Church Hall, The Avenue, Minehead.

Gardeners are being urged to bring your spare plants to swap - vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit, houseplants - while others will also be on sale for those who want to take home more than they brought along.

There will also be a Freecycle Table for small items, so people can bring what they don't want - and take away what they do.

In addition free cloth carrier bags are being provided by a local volunteer who makes them from donated fabric.

The bags are made to a design from the Morsbags website and are intended to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Maureen Smith, of TMA and Forum 21, said: “The huge problem of plastic breaking into tiny particles and getting into the sea where it enters the food chain is now widely recognised.

"The charge for plastic bags has reduced the use of them by up to 80% and we are hoping to get to that last difficult 20%.

"Over 3,000 Morsbags have been distributed in West Somerset with the help of an overlocking machine funded by Forum 21 and more sewing volunteers are needed to meet the demand.”

There will be a 50p entry charge (children under 18 go free).

Each visitor can give in plants and will be given tokens to exchange for others. There will also be some seeds to swap for 'last-minute' sowing, and you can bring your own spare in-date seeds too. There will also be refreshments, garden bric-a-brac, books and tools.

For more information on The Plant Swap contact Cynthia on 01643 862990. Contact Jan 01643 704821 for details about the Friends and Family Allotment or Transition Towns, who work to promote local resilience to climate change and the reduction of resources such as affordable energy, or email tma2009@hotmail.co.uk.