Hello everyone.
I hope you are all well and being extra careful if you are enjoying some extra hot weather this week.
So this week, something unusual in the garden. Do you know what this is?
No, they are not small green tomatoes. In fact, they are potato berries. I had never seen them before, and they were quite a surprise to find on one of my potato plants. This particular potato plant had quite a few flowers a few weeks ago, and I thought nothing of it.
As some of you may already know, a few weeks ago, I spent a lovely afternoon at Edgbaston Cricket Ground with my family. I have also been continuing with some decluttering and found this game. It is a dice-based, pencil-and-paper cricket game. Pencil cricket has its origins in pre-war Britain and uses two dice shaped like short metal pencils with numbers on one side and words on the other. One die is the batting die and has 1, 2, 3, 4, owzatt, and 6 on each side. The other has the words 'bowled', 'stumped', 'caught', 'not out', 'no ball', and 'LBW'. One or two players can play the game.
This version belongs to my husband.
Sometimes, the unusual or unexpected can be fun, and I enjoyed discovering these things this week.
Have a good and safe week, everyone.
B x
I've never heard of pencil cricket. How interesting. Fun to play, too.
ReplyDeleteIt was a new game on me too but it looks a fun and easy game to play.
DeleteI knew the fruits of potatoes were poisonous, I've never seen one, bit scary as they do look like green tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I found out what they were I took them all off. Fortunately we don't have any pets or children to worry about. I shall be on the look out for any more berries that appear.
DeleteGoodness, that is unusual. We grow quite a few potatoes - if we can stop the badgers digging them up - and I've never seen their berries before. I knew that any green on the actual potato was harmful and to be avoided. I've learned something new today. The table top cricket looks like fun. Have a good week:)
ReplyDeleteIt was a real surprise to find the little green beads on the potato plant. I never knew of such a thing. I had to look up what they were myself. The cricket game is small enough to put in a bag or pocket so good for taking away on holiday. Maybe hubby and I will have a game tomorrow, when it gets too hot to be outside.
DeleteThey do look like green tomatoes, this is what I thought when I saw the photo. Beautiful flower. I have never played cricket, but I bet it is fun.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first time I had seen these potatoes with green beads. So unusual!
DeleteThe cricket game in a box is an easy game to play. I don't think I would be any good at the real game though, but again I found it enjoyable to watch others play.
One of the joys of blogging is you never know what you are going to read and learn.
ReplyDeleteThe two items mentioned in your post here were both new to me.
Firstly potato berries and then pencil cricket, which does sound a fun game.
I hope you've enjoyed this last weekend of June, it doesn't seem possible that we will be welcoming in the 7th month of 2025 this week!!!
Take care and keep as cool as possible in our present hot weather.
All the best Jan
Glad you found these two little snippets interesting to read. 😊
DeleteThe first half of the year has gone very quickly hasn't it and the next half is likely to hurry by as well for us. Lots of adventures and travelling happening in our small corner!
Thinking of you and hope that you will be safe and hydrated in this exceptionally hot weather. Have a good end of June and start of July.
I've read about potato berries but never seen them myself, they do look very much like tomatoes. We had a similar cricket game, though it was made much more recently so not in such a charming little box. How lovely that your husband has kept this all these years.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the potato berries discovery but I'm also glad that I removed them quickly after taking the photos.
DeleteThe little cricket game in a box is very sweet and I'm unsure how old this particular version is. It was a fun discovery though.
We've had some potatoes already and they were delicious! Have you tried yours?
ReplyDeleteYes, we dug up one plant which was enough for one meal and they were delicious.
DeleteOur potatoes produced berries like that the year before last. We had never seen them before. It's scary how poisonous they actually are isn't it. We took ours off and burnt them. Aren't potatoes related to deadly nightshade?
ReplyDeleteI love the pencil cricket game! That's new to me too
Angie 💓
Sorry Angie, I did reply earlier but blogger seems to have sent it into another universe!!
DeleteI think potatoes are related to Deadly nightshade, so we need to be extra careful if this happens again.
The pencil cricket seems such a simple idea and in a tiny box is perfect for a travel game.
Have a good rest of the week and take care in the heat.
Now I want to make that little cricket game. In fact I want to make a few games in tiny tins they'd be great for travelling.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be fun and I know you would make a great job of it. I wonder what other games you could try making?
DeletePotato berries!!! How cool is that. I've never seen or heard of those before. Groovy.
ReplyDeleteHa ha . I thought you would like to see those berries. They are of course not for eating as they are poisonous. Just a bit of a novelty.
DeleteI love it. So cool.
DeleteI've never seen a potato berry. In fact, I never even wondered what the fruit of the potato plant might be! No heat wave in Scotland, where it is pleasant t-shirt weather but not the sweat producing kind. Just right. Cx
ReplyDeleteI didn't know potatoes could produce fruit either.
DeleteIt's going to be cooler for a few days here before the heat returns with avengeance. Could you waft a little cool air down here to the Midlands please. 😊
You asked "can you guess what this is?" and I was completely wrong each time! I learned some things today! Thanks much - and hope you are having a good week!
ReplyDeleteIt is always fun to discover something new. Glad you found the berries and tin box game interesting. Have a lovely weekend x
DeleteIt's always fun to find the un-discovered! The game sounds interesting.
ReplyDeletehugs
Donna
It's good to find out something new and enjoy the surprise and wonder of it all. I had never seen this tiny game until I was clearing out and found out what it was. Hope your weekend is going well x
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