Watermelon for the 4th of July

As I write this, we are heading into the 4th of July weekend. Because it’s 2020 and everything is different this year, for many of us the celebrations will be diminished. Here in the Tucson metro area, the only thing skyrocketing is Covid19 cases; fireworks displays have been canceled due to extreme fire danger (and, of course, the virus). But, there is one thing that almost everyone can enjoy this 4th of July and it is as appropriate as any American apple pie: I’m talking watermelon. If you can’t go to the beach, have some watermelon and imagine you’re there. If you aren’t attending a party, make some gorgeous cocktails and sit in the kids’ wading pool. Read a watermelon-themed book while wearing a watermelon hat. You get the idea – just enjoy the summer deliciousness that is watermelon.

If you are unsure of your commitment to watermelon, here is a fun video extolling its virtues that features the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher. If you are interested in random facts and deeper information about watermelons, this site has plenty to keep you entertained and informed – and it shows square watermelons.

Many of you may be enjoying, or anticipating the enjoyment to come, of eating your own watermelon. Savoring the fruits of a carefully tended garden is beyond satisfying. If you are still in the how-to-grow-them phase, here is a concise yet thorough guide to growing watermelons. There’s a man in Alabama who clearly does not need growing help, he’s expecting around 15,000 watermelons this year! For more on what that’s all about, go here.


For the rest of us who are not watermelon-growing wizards and are harvesting from the supermarket, here are a few quick tests to help pick the perfect one.

Let’s get to the eating and drinking part: If your feast-preparing ritual begins with a frosty alcoholic beverage (yes, please), you have almost endless choices with watermelon-centric drinks. How about a watermelon jalapeño Bloody Mary, watermelon sangria, watermelon margarita, beer-lemonade-watermelon shandy, watermelon Piña Colada, watermelon mimosa or watermelon Jell-O shot? The recipes for some of these are here, while the rest (and so much more!) can be found easily online.

Now that you have established your watermelon drink (or at least the first one to try), it’s time to get to eating. You can have watermelon wrapped in bacon or prosciutto, watermelon-feta guacamole, grilled chicken-watermelon tacos, watermelon jerky, watermelon bbq sauce for your chicken or ribs, watermelon pudding or watermelon sorbet. The Barbecued Seafood & Watermelon Salad sounds especially wonderful to me. The choices are extensive; Good Housekeeping alone has 50 tempting recipes for watermelon here.

Barbecued Seafood & Watermelon Salad

While researching recipes for this blog, all the watermelon recipes sounded irresistible, but I found myself most entranced by the grilled watermelon recipes. I have never tried grilling watermelon, but since the grill apparently changes the flavor in delightful ways, it will definitely be on the menu this weekend. Southern Living has a good basic recipe here while Grilled Avocado and Watermelon Salad with Lime and Feta Cheese, Grilled Watermelon Pizza, Charred Vandouvan Octopus with Grilled Watermelon and Salsa Verde, Grilled Watermelon Burgers and Grilled Watermelon Sundaes cover all the courses in new and interesting ways. I am looking forward to trying at least one of these grilled treats, although I’m pretty sure my family will think the idea is weird.

While you are eating and drinking watermelon, you could continue the theme (and keep various members of your group entertained) by indulging in some watermelon-centric arts and crafts. This page has links to other blogs and artsy sites with lots of fun-sounding activities. You could extend (probably overextend) the watermelon theme by wearing watermelon-inspired clothing or making watermelon tie-dye to wear at your next watermelon fest.


If you have a teenager in the family, you know that very little of what I have written will interest them. But, you can (perhaps) rope them into the watermelon world by having them use their phones to create “watermelon clothes” pictures. This is where a person takes a picture while holding slices of watermelon to make it look like the person in the picture is wearing clothes made out of watermelon. More on that here. Granted, this was a social media thing 3 years ago, but it may still keep a teenager engaged for a bit.

If your idea of a good day is to kick back with a good book, (yes, we do still exist), you can still watermelon it up by choosing a book with watermelon in the title. Here is a list of 34 books with "watermelon" in the title. As trite as it sounds, there really is something for everybody on it. From a dreamy love-child favorite of the late ’60s to non-fiction and international stories, these books reflect how watermelons play a beloved part in myriad cultures. Just don’t forget your watermelon cocktail when you settle down to read.

Some of my happiest childhood memories are of my grandmother’s porch. I remember joyously eating watermelon there with my siblings and cousins. It was the only time spitting was permitted and we would compete to see who could spit their seeds farthest. With very little effort, such homey pleasures can still be had in 2020.

If you didn't read this in time to make your 4th a watermelon one, no worries - National Watermelon Day is August 3rd.

Have a happy and safe Happy 4th of July.

Submitted by Pam

Woo Hoo! It's the 4th of July!

Let's face it, when it comes to 4th of July celebrations, they are much more about fun, food and fireworks than about celebrating our independence from England. And that's okay. I think the Founding Fathers would be pleased to know that we have developed our own traditions and that England is no longer a part of our national consciousness. However, some of the traditions we have created would no doubt be bewildering to those men. Quirkiness and excess are inherent in many traditions that modern America has fully embraced and both of these are on full display for the 4th.

Celebrating Australia Day in Sydney, Australia

When we think 4th of July excess, fireworks quickly come to mind. While we have magnificent displays across the country, we probably can't claim the worldwide excess crown. In fact, we don't even make the top ten list for explosive records, according to Guinness World Records. Check out their list here and see some spectacular clips from all parts of the world.

It is in the area of food excess that the US shines (for better or worse) and the food put on tables on the 4th easily rivals the celebration of overeating that is Thanksgiving. Only instead of stuffing ourselves with turkey, it's all about barbecue food. Consumers are expected to spend $6.7 billion dollars on their food this year. It is estimated that Americans will eat 155 million hot dogs and 375 million hamburgers for the 4th of July. When you add on the rivers of beer (about 68.3 million cases), calling it excess seems an understatement.

Americans showcase their quirkiness this time of year with some unusual 4th of July celebrations. No simply flag-waving parade for these folks!

Not all coasters are designed for speed.

Bisbee Coaster Races: In the small town of Bisbee here in Southern Arizona, they have Coaster Races (AKA Soap Box Derby) every year. This small, old town is super hilly and full of artists and other characters - the perfect place for young racers to show their stuff.

Boom Box Parade, Willimantic, CT: Created out of necessity (they had no marching band, so they had a local radio station play marching music for them), this unique event encourages the offbeat. The only requirements are that participants wear some red, white and blue and that everyone carry a boom box or radio. 

Lobster Races, Bar Harbor, ME: This annual event (a fundraiser for the local YMCA that is just what it sounds like) is undoubtedly slower paced than many other racing events that mark Independence Day. But I can't help thinking that the food is a lot better than your average barbecue.

Midnight Parade, Gatlinburg, TN: The good folks of Gatlinburg came up with the idea to have their 4th of July parade at midnight (perhaps so they can claim that they are the first parade every year) and I think it is pure genius. It allows for all the sparkle of a Christmas parade and avoids the heat of a July day. I wish we could start this here in Tucson, where our holiday is always blisteringly hot.

No matter what you decide to do with your 4th of July holiday, I recommend a little excess and a dash of quirk - it's good for the soul.



Submitted by Pam

Make Your Garden Much More Than What You Plant

This week I came across a delightful book, The Cocktail Hour Garden by C. L. Fornari

Although this book is chock-full of beautiful pictures, clever ideas and delicious-sounding drink recipes, it's the over-arching theme that grasped my attention and imagination. Fornari advocates for taking some time at the end of the workday to put down your devices and sit outside and just relax in your garden, either with other people or as some alone-time. Refreshing alcoholic beverages are optional, of course; but there are some really interesting plant-infused libations that you really owe it to yourself to try. There may even be some that have ingredients you can directly source from your yard. The point is that a yard or garden should be not be seen as a set of chores or just as a food resource, but instead should be actively enjoyed in and of itself. It doesn't matter if your outdoor area is expansive or small, an important way to get maximum enjoyment from it is to design and plant for your specific taste and how you want to utilize the space. As you begin or finalize your plans for this year, consider the following:

Think outside the box- Most of us would not wear dated clothing or use a computer from 1980, but we give little thought to updating our landscaping. Get rid of the shrubs-around-the-foundation-and-lawn-to-the-curb model and experiment with shape color, and plants that are new to you. Here are some excellent suggestions for starting a new garden design or renewing the one you have.

You be you - It pays to remember that your garden is your creation and that means you can grow, plant, paint or embellish whatever and however you want. Want to grow just white flowers? Grow just white flowers! Want to paint your patio floor? Here’s a video that shows how. Want to grow up a brightly painted wall? Do it! Whatever pleases you most and adds to your enjoyment should be what you choose to do.

Create dimension - Use walls, tree branches, staircases and hangers to create a multi-layered growing environment that envelopes you in its beauty. This will give your eyes a variety of scenes to feast on as you relax with your favorite beverage.

Year-round enjoyment - To keep your garden glorious and accessible throughout the seasons, it’s time to move away from short-lived seasonal blooms and embrace plants(or even a series of plants)  that are long-lasting. Year-round gardening is a win-win; you have continual beauty and/or bounty and our valuable pollinators will have a food source week after week. With the addition of cooling fountains and cozy fire features, you will have an all-season backyard retreat.

Not all walls are bad - The addition of shades, privacy walls and curtains can delineate and glamorize a specific part of your yard. They can also give you additional growing options by providing shade where you want it. Add a rug to the mix and you have outdoor lounging at its best.

Bird watching, anyone? – If you are a bird lover, but are unable to get away to appreciate these flying treasures, lure them to your yard instead. Designing a bird-friendly garden need not be complicated, but the various species are geographically and seasonally specific. The Audubon Society is a great source of information if you don’t know where to start. Here in southern Arizona we are lucky to have an abundance of hummingbirds and people come from around the world to see them. Hummingbirds are in everyone’s yard here, intentional plantings or not.

Perhaps you want a Hobbit garden.

Critters in the garden – Watching the walking and crawling creatures that inhabit your garden is not only fun and fascinating, it can give you a very good idea how healthy the environment you’ve created is. However, there are some inherent drawbacks in planting for wildlife as this often means you are simply supplying food for them. Gardeners everywhere know what a cute bunny can do to a vegetable patch. Here in southern Arizona most people know that javelinas love pumpkins (see them at work on one here) and no one wants to invite them to any party. Check out what Nathaniel Wheelwright, author of The Naturalist’s Notebook has to say about all this here.

Get a little country: If you enjoy a cowboy or country aesthetic and/or you want to try something inexpensive and environmentally conscious, consider a straw bale garden. This alternative to container growing has great potential for areas that have little to no soil but need a little pizzazz (like along a curb or driveway). The possibilities are literally only limited to your imagination.

Address problems ahead of time: Many common garden problems can be stopped before they begin. For instance, you can apply weed barriers before landscaping, and choose plants with an eye to pest control. You can have it all - a beautiful garden that is easy to maintain.

I’ve given you many idea trails to explore, but while you are planning your garden don't forget that the bst idea is to simply enjoy your garden. Working hard to create an area of relaxation seems just wrong. So, step back and slide your way into this. And remember, sometimes less is best and all you really need is a comfy chair and the right company.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Submitted by Pam