Mendip Gardening Club ended the year with a great evening of Christmas festivities. Mulled wine and mince pies were served and we were entertained by club member, Janet, recounting a fairy story.

This was followed by a fun quiz and the evening was rounded off by The Singing Guitars, who had us tapping our feet and joining in with a wide range of songs.

The new year saw the welcome return of Helena Crouch. This time, we learned how plants have cleverly adapted to grow in wet locations. Somerset boasts a plentiful range of these, rivers, streams, rhynes, ponds, ditches and even puddles!

As always, there are pros and cons for where you live. On the plus side, if you a are a wetland plant, there is a plentiful supply of water, temperature stability, greater carbon dioxide availability and less need for supportive structures.

On the other hand, these plants are at risk of drowning, may struggle to maintain anchorage and have to cope with low light and nutrient levels and possible pollution.

Helena described the many ways that these plants have evolved to survive, just two examples, wetland plants have hollow stems to give them lightness and buoyancy and have either flat leaves that float on the surface or fine leaves under the water to withstand battering by fast flowing currents.

Next month our topic is all about bats. Lewis Hillier will be covering all aspects of bat life, both UK species and those from across the world. He will also be telling us how we can help these creatures, to help us in the garden.

Come and join us at our friendly club at The Village Hall, Green Street, Ston Easton BA3 4DA, on Wednesday, February 19.

The hall will be open for refreshments and chat from 7pm and the talk will start at 7.30pm.

Gillian Hipwood