Nature finds a way

[Al Swope]

In central PA, we have a lot of coal surface mines. I was checking out an area that had been stripped about 3 years ago. On the edge of a clearing, where there was not a lick of topsoil, someone had dumped a load of yard waste. I pulled back some brush a found this pumpkin growing. I looked around and there were 4-5 more. I know they are not native plants but still pretty neat.

 

[Dave]

That is cool. I wonder if they'll survive there.

 

[bob91yj]

My parents used to have a house in a community designed for horses. About half of their yard was landscaped with the back half getting mowed/turned under once a year. My dad ask my kids if they wanted to go help plant a garden with him. That consisted of throwing old fruit or peels etc from the back porch out to the dirt area. One year he got lucky, and a water melon grew on it's own and produced some pretty good melons!