July 4 marks independence day, twice for the USA. There’s the one you’ll have heard about today, but there’s another over 100 million people might be celebrating too.
In the Philippines, July 4 is Republic Day, the day the Philippines gained independence from the USA. However, while it’s the day the Philippines gained independence, it’s not Independence Day. That’s June 12, when the Philippines celebrates their declaration of independence from Spain. Unfortunately Spain had signed away their claim to the Philippines to the USA, who didn’t recognise the state for another forty-eight years. But you can see today’s Sudoku Garden as a double celebration of a country claiming independence and yielding it to someone else.
How to Play
Six plants fill each row
each column, each box of six
no bloom may repeat
Tap an empty cell
then choose your plant from below
watch the garden grow
Or pick a plant first
then tap the cells where it goes
faster hands plant more
Red borders will warn
when two alike share a line
rethink and replant
Ticked plants rest complete
all six placed in rightful soil
fewer choices left
The clock starts to run
the moment your first plant falls
how swift is your hand?
Select a plant, then tap cells
Two ways to play: Tap an empty cell then pick a plant, or select a plant below then tap cells to place it.
Cover image: Livistona carinensis by Plantsman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
