Planting the Three Sisters

 Today I planted 3 sets of the Three Sisters, an indigenous companion planting mound.

First I dug the dark, rich and moist dirt from my compost pile, and mixed it into 3 mounds.

In the center of the mound goes corn. I used my colored corn from last year. I chose 6 of the biggest kernels for each mound. Next, around the corn are beans. Again I used saved seeds from last year in a circle around the corn. Later I will plant squash. That is the third sister.

This will be my first time trying this ancient method.  I learned it from a chapter in the book "Braiding Sweetgrass", by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I read that chapter to my mom too.

I can't wait to watch the corn sprout up an then the beans climb up the corn. No need then for strings and frames, as the corn is the support. The squash at ground level shades the other plants and climbs all through everything. It seems like magic of a sort. From this day in April I anticipate my three sisters, 4 months from now, in August showing me how they get along.