the three sisters

We are giving the garden another go this year, despite last year’s challenges and disappointment. We’re trying new things, we bought some plants, and started some from seed in little pots, some plastic pots, some peat pots that can be planted right along with the seedlings. I was reading somewhere about the companion planting of the three sisters, corn, beans and squash. I realized, we had seedlings of all three and I thought we should give it a go.

The fun facts I’ve picked up along the way are firstly, that the Native Americans first discovered the success of this trio. Also, one of the reasons it works so well is because corn pulls nitrogen from the soil, while beans release nitrogen back into it, so there is a balancing that goes on there. And the squash with it’s large leaves and profuse growth, covers the ground and protects the other two sisters.

Here it is.

So this bed, this one bed, is the one I am so hoping grows abundantly, especially because I have a recipe for Three Sisters Stew from Mothering Magazine and I would be gratified to no end if I got to use the three sisters I am raising myself, in my own backyard, in the making of it!

Let’s follow its growth, shall we?

Here’s a link to a video that shows how to situate the sisters, and here’s a link to the recipe.