Excellent work, Barry.
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Yes It’s very similar @Eliza ,being a sweet earthy taste and makes a nice addition to a salad as well as adding colour. In the colder months we roast it with other root veg with a cooked dinner, and then any glut at the end of the year I make into chutney. Such a versatile vegetable and very easy to grow…
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Thanks Jan, how’s your plot doing?
Ok. Sort of, thanks.
Spent ages the other day trying to pull out red bind weed from the Holly tree at the back and realised it was all over the site, including at the back of every plot beside mine. So a lost cause there then. I might never see that Holly ever again.
Should have concentrated my efforts elsewhere. Also strimmed then went over parts with shears. Today I’d like to get my (soaked) potatoes in, and maybe transplant some tomato plants from home.
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We have a plague of pigeons around here at the moment and they are doing quite a bit of damage to the crops, including destroying a whole row of lettuce and some cabbage seedlings. They are now attacking the fruit by pecking at the gooseberries and blackcurrants, and by landing on top of the bushes they are actually breaking branches off, so enough is enough…
We have bought some reflective discs which I have placed around the crops and have strung some above the fruit bushes which hopefully will scare them away.
Here’s what they look like…
And here’s Rosemary doing her Bet Lynch impression with a pair… 
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Ey up cock!
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…
Took a few ikea bags to the allotment, filled with newly delivered wood chip, and put it onto the little paths I have made between the pallet collars (weed membrane first).
Then I did a bit of watering and had a light bulb moment. I have put out several flower buckets that I buy in Morrisons/Tescos, to catch rain, and still have a few spare p/collars. One day I will put a collar somewhere, place a load of flower buckets inside, put netting over and voila, cheap water containers whenever it rains. I should place it all down the end of the plot where stuff has been planted. And let’s hope it now rains.
Got a stack of them still indoors, and might do the same in the back garden. I think another trip to Morrisons is in order, see if any left. They are so versatile at 8 for 99p.
Sounds fascinating Jan but I’ve no idea what a “pallet collar” is? 
Hopefully though when you’ve got your shed and/or greenhouse erected you can collect the rainwater from the roofs direct into water butts too. 
Click on this link, Barry.
Oh I see, what threw me was the 8 for 99p thing, but I guess that must be for the “buckets”, which still seems ridiculously cheap…
Barry, they are flower buckets that the supermarket florist bundles up to sell on.
What I finished yesterday.
Pouring bags of wood chip (we get constant free deliveries) over weed fabric.
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Quite ingenious @Jazzi , but you’ll need quite a storm to fill that lot… 
I haven’t done much today other than water the veg using watering cans filled from my two water butts, but it’s nice to see things growing now after a sluggish start in spring.
The first cucumber in the greenhouse, it’s a miniature variety and is just about ready for eating, but before long they’ll be growing faster than we can eat them…
The tomatoes have set well too, these are Aisla Craig and my other two plants are a cherry plum tomato which are a little behind.
After that day of rain on Tuesday the onions and shallots have really started to swell too…
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I understand that, Barry, but it’s all I’ve got right now.
Looking good on yours.
Is rain your only water source Jan, no taps on the allotments ?
Water tap right next to my plot, on main path, but means loads of trips with w/can till I sort out the butts.