Tim Watson

@timwatson

English professor in Miami. British-American. London > Bishop's Stortford > Brighton > Brooklyn > Miami. Subtropical gardener. Florida Mangos: A Cultural History, forthcoming from U of Florida Press. Posts are my own and do not represent my employer.

1973 Siguiendo2795 Seguidores2729 Publicaciones

Bluesky

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y timwatson.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

Tim Watson@timwatson· 17d

Miami is, let's just say, not rich in biking and walking trails. So we're grateful for The Underline, the 10-mile linear park nearing completion. This is a segment from Riviera Dr to Granada Blvd, not officially open but pretty much finished and lovely.

The Underline, a Miami linear park underneath the Metrorail tracks. Bike and walking paths, native plants and trees.

Tim Watson@timwatson· 20d

When the local data center (public library) is also the local compost drop-off station.

A large black bin with a gray lid and a sign indicating it's a "compost drop off station", sitting outside the windows of a public library.

Tim Watson@timwatson· 20d

Everything has now been digitized, in what must have been an incredible labor of love that matched the original survey and mapping work. Here's my hometown and surrounding fields in the 1960s. Different volunteers used different colored pencils (you can tell where the edges of maps line up).

1960s map of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, as hand-annotated by the Second Land Utilisation Survey.

Tim Watson@timwatson· 22d

I highly recommend Brown's book, a smart mix of historical research and on-the-spot fieldwork (gardenwork?) in places like Amsterdam, Washington DC, Tallinn. I also highly recommend volunteering in an urban school garden—esp a school that is "home of the poets"—even on a warm Miami morning.

Front cover of the book Tiny Gardens Everywhere: A History of Urban Resilience, by Kate Brown. A pattern of red bricks contains the author's name and the title, with an illustration of flowers, vegetables, and other plants around the edges of the cover.

Banana trees and semitropical shrubs in an elementary school courtyard in Miami

Newly planted shrubs for a butterfly garden in a large concrete raised bed in the courtyard of a Miami elementary school. A sign on the bed reads "Food Forests for Schools | The Education Fund".

The yellow and green front doors of the main administration building of a Miami elementary school. The school is named for Maya Angelou and the left hand door says the school is "Home of the Poets". Glass blocks surround the doors, a bit of Art Deco architectural design that is ubiquitous in older Miami buildings, often going unnoticed here.

Tim Watson@timwatson· 22d

Front and back cover of Clarence Streit's 1941 book Union Now With Britain ("calling on Americans and citizens of the British Commonwealth to begin — while they may — the United States of Man")

Tim Watson@timwatson· 25d

Whether you call it Flame Tree or Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant or Delonix regia, it's a stunner.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 12

some Miami drivers won't stop underneath the bridge being constructed across from FIU south campus when there's a red light ahead—which isn't surprising if you remember the tragedy that happened the last time they tried to build a bridge there

four lanes of vehicles stopped for a red light with a pedestrian bridge under construction above them

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 10

The year is 2026, and all Miami is occupied. Only one small village of indomitable Swiss still holds out against the Messi fans.

A white stucco house with terracotta roof tiles has a string of small red and white Swiss flags hanging across its porch. There are palm trees and low hedges in front of the house.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 10

Mango magic in the dean's office today 🥭 🥭 🥭

Mango chunks in containers sitting on a desk. Labels read "control group", "entry #8", "entry #7", etc

A glass jar with folded pieces of paper in it. A sign in front reads "write the # of your favorite one & fold paper & place in bowl"

A group of people loading paper plates with mango chunks and tasting them.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 8

Fellow authors: without any context, what's the first list of your current WIP?

Screenshot of text:

Introduction

It’s a tropically hot, humid day in South Florida in July, and people are busy doing the things that matter to Miamians. They are flocking to the white sand strips of South Beach; they are packing the restaurants and bars of Brickell’s glass and concrete canyons; and a few miles further south on Old Cutler Road, hundreds of people are pouring in to one of the most popular events in the South Florida summer calendar: Community Day at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Subtropical Horticulture Research Station."

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 6

apparently there's some kind of sporting event going on in Miami on Saturday but surely this is the most important South Florida match-up this week

A flyer advertising the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences "Battle of the Mangoes", to take place on July 9, 2026. "Bring your best homegrown mangoes or stop by for a bite and vote for your favorite!". The flyer is green with seven orange/yellow mangos floating on clouds in the middle.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jul 5

this may be the infographic you're remembering?

a 2023 infographic comparing Britain's economy to Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S., the title reading "Britain's economy is highly London-centric. Without the capital, the UK would be poorer per head than Mississippi"

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 24

A man with grey hair and beard and a goofy half smile stands in front of a red brick wall with the house number 61 above his left shoulder.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 24

There's lots of misplaced nostalgia in Britain today but I don't remember anyone knitting (crocheting?) elaborate scenes on top of post boxes back in the so called good old days.

Knitted (crocheted?) footballers on top of a post box. The goalkeeper has made an excellent fingertip save.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 23

I've been in England and I saw one exciting football match today.

A red British post box topped with a football scene consisting of hand knitted players, balls, and a goal.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 17

I recently learned this disturbing origin of the phrase "carbon footprint" too, from Rhadika Subramaniam's book Footprint.

The cover of Rhadika Subramaniam's book Footprint.

Text from Rhadika Subramaniam's book Footprint telling how a BP advertising campaign was the origin of the phrase "carbon footprint".

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 3

I have the Gibran, happy to mail it, sorry post it, to you when I'm next in the UK in a couple of weeks.

The orange spines of 8 titles in the Penguin 60s book series lying horizontally on a shelf.

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 2

if you're headed back to MIA it doesn't look great here either

weather map showing lightning and heavy rain over Miami International Airport and surrounding area on June 2, 2026

Tim Watson@timwatson· Jun 1

Post a poster you used to have on your wall (or ceiling).

A large advertising poster: a swirl of multicolored dots, lines, and stripes radiating out from the center. The words "Festival de Jazz | Paris | 25 Oct.-1 Noc. 83" in swirling handwriting at the bottom of the poster. The artist's signature, [Jean] Tanguely, is at bottom left.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 28

A queer New Zealander friend in New York City recommended her great London trilogy to me 30 years ago. I think it's time to reread this one (the third book) I still have. RIP Maureen Duffy.

A paperback copy of Maureen Duffy's novel Londoners. The cover features a painting of people walking along the pavement of a busy London street at night, with cars, a black cab, and a red double decker bus behind them.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 27

there were mango chutney recipes circulating in Miami in the very early C20: here's the recipe from Florence Haden, on whose land the original Haden mango grew, which bears some similarity to the stuffed mango recipe.

Recipes for Mango Chutney and Paw-Paw Squash from a 1906 book of "Tropical Cooking Recipts" published by the Housekeepers' Club women's organization in Coconut Grove, Miami.

Text reads:

MANGO CHUTNEY

10 large firm mangoes. One half pint of raisins, seeded. One half pint lime juice One half pint vinegar. 2 Chili peppers. 2 garlic buttons, grated. 1 medium size onion, grated. 1 tablespoon full of white mustard seed. 1 tablespoon full o white mustard 1 tablespoon full of ground ginger. 1 heaping tablespoon full of salt One and one-hall cups brown sugar. Pare and cut the mangoes in small pieces. Put all the ingredients in together in a crock or bowl Let stand, covered, over night and cook next morning, three hours, very slowly. Put in glass cans or bottles and seal

Mrs. Florence P. Haden

PAW-PAW SQUASH

Green paw-paw, peeled, seeded and cut in cubes, cook in plenty of water, until tender. Mash fine and season with salt, pepper and add a little cream and butter. A fine substitute for summer squash.

Mrs. Henrietta Trapp

Digitized version of the book from U of Miami Libraries Special Collections. https://cdm17191.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/asm0015/id/1322.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 27

you're all busy roasting Tony Blair (and rightly so), but I promised you stuffed mangos, so here you go. Recipe begins: "Take 24 mangoes clean and lay in a strong brine (cold) let them remain for 3 days — pour off that brine — scald it — and pour it again over the mangoes". The rest in alt text.

Handwritten recipe from a 1920s family recipe book. Text in a very neat cursive hand reads:

Stuffed or filled Mangoes.
Take 24 mangoes clean and lay in a strong brine (cold) let them remain for 3 days — pour off that brine — scald it — and pour it again over the mangoes — let them remain it 3 more days — take them out — wipe them perfectly dry — with a coarse cloth — cover them with scalding vinegar — and let them remain in it for one week.
Prepare the stuffing as follows: ½ pound of garlic — 1 pound small red pepper — 1 pound Horse Radish — ¼ pound turmerick — 1 pound black mustard seed — 1 pound white mustard seed — ¼ pound mace — ¼ pound nutmeg — ½ pound ground ginger — ¼ pound celery seed.
These ingredients are all mixed with a bottle of best salad oil — stuff the mangoes and in each one place a small cucumber — Tie them up and pour over them fresh cold vinegar. Throw in the jar a small piece of alum.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 26

Stumbled upon this ad for @ufl.edu in my archival research today—August 29, 1906, in the Daily Miami Metropolis. A High-Grade Institution for young men. Literary, Scientific, and Engineering Courses. Strict Military Discipline.

An old newspaper ad (1906) for the University of The State of Florida | Gainesville, Florida | A High-Grade Institution for young men. Literary, Scientific, and Engineering Courses. | Strict Military Discipline | Fall Term opens in Gainesville, Sept. 26 | For catalog and information address ANDREW SLEDD, Pres., Gainesville, Fla.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 25

frangipani finally flowered

A white frangipani bloom with a yellow blush at the center.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 23

It must have been a bad week for the Republican Party because my extremely scientific María Salazar Bipartisanship Index rose by an incredible 60% to an all-time record high of 8 uses of the word "bipartisan" in her weekly newsletter. (She won FL-27 by 20 points in 2024.)

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 20

see how my mind flies off in a thousand directions now that my Assessment and Accreditation Report is complete

Idris Elba, hands folded, index fingers appearing to point to the text "Shouldn't you be writing?"

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 20

the 🥭 harvest begins

30-40 large mangos in varying states of ripeness in bowls on a table

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 16

This week's newsletter from Rep. Salazar: the word "bipartisan" used 5 times. (April 17 = zero mention of bipartisan, so there must have been a poll that spooked her later that month.) But there's also a lot of lauding cops and being tough on crime, so she feels a bit safer herself, I'm guessing.

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 14

I'm sure it was just a coincidence that I saw this snake climbing a wall of the building housing our humanities departments today.

A North American Racer snake hiding in a creeping fig vine on the wall outside the Ashe building on the campus of the University of Miami

Tim Watson@timwatson· May 12

been there