Although it may look like this outside, inside we’re thinking up more planting combinations for our gardens. In our last Garden Planning blog, we talked about the idea of edible landscaping as a way of bringing together beauty and function in your garden.
Besides creating a veritable treat for both your eyes and stomach, edible landscaping makes good gardening sense. That’s because edible landscaping often times incorporates companion planting – or the idea that some plants can actually be helped by being grown next to each other.
A good example of companion planting is the three sisters - corn, pole beans and squash. The Three Sisters have been grown together for generations by Native Americans. While each tribe grew these plants in different ways, they understood the benefits of partnering these plants together. The corn acts as a support for the pole beans to climb; the beans are nitrogen fixers bringing much needed nutrients to the corn’s shallow roots; and the squash acts as a ground cover, blocking weeds and deterring pests with its coarse leaves. Sometimes sunflowers are added to the mix and serve in a similar capacity as the corn, a pole for the beans to climb on.
Here’s our2nd Garden Planning combination:
Combination 2: Three Sisters Garden
If you like eating: Beans, corn, squash, nasturtium, succotash, and sunflower seeds.
If you want your landscape to have: Dramatic height of the corn, sprawling vines from beans and squash, varieties of textures, pockets of color, each plant performs an important role in helping each other grow.
Recipe and Meal Ideas
Three Sisters soup, homemade corn bread, popcorn with garden herb butter, Succotash, roasted squash with maple syrup, and grilled corn on the cob.
Cost/Savings: What you need to grow for a family of 4:
|
Vegetable
|
# of Plants*
|
# of Seeds Needed
|
Estimated Yield**
|
Cost
|
Estimated Savings***
|
|
Green Beans
|
20-40
|
50
|
52-104 lbs.
|
$2.75
|
$64-131
|
|
Dry Beans
|
20-40
|
50
|
52-104 lbs.
|
$2.75
|
$41-86
|
|
Corn
|
48-160
|
200
|
96-320 ears
|
$7.75
|
$16-72
|
|
Winter Squash
|
8
|
25
|
56 lbs.
|
$2.75
|
$47
|
|
Sunflower
|
|
50
|
|
$2.75
|
-
|
|
Nasturtium
|
|
25
|
|
$2.75
|
-
|
|
Totals
|
|
|
|
$19.25
|
$168-336
|
*Information from The Gardener’s A – Z Guide to Growing Organic Food, Tanya Denckla
**Estimated yield data is approximated according to yield data from Diggers Club in Australia.
***Prices found in Decorah, IA, for mostly non-organic, conventionally grown food. These prices are much lower than what you would pay for the specialty produce you will be growing in your garden.
Varieties (click on each variety to learn more)
Pole Beans: Hidatsa Shield Figure and Purple Podded Pole
Hidatsa Shield Figure beans were historically grown in a Three Sisters style. Purple Podded Pole beans will look beautiful climbing the corn and adding splashes of purple to your garden.
Corn: Two Inch Strawberry Popcorn, Country Gentleman Sweet Corn, Oaxacan Green Dent
These three varieties have different uses in your home: popcorn, sweet corn, and flour. The Oaxacan Green Dent was grown for centuries by the Zapotec Indians of southern Mexico. Strawberry Popcorn has a unique red color that is visible even after popping!
Squash: Table Queen
This variety is similar to a squash grown by the Arikara Indians. It is a manageable size and tastes great!
Sunflowers: Teddy Bear
Sunflowers have been grown for hundreds of years in the Americas. Stray beans and squash vines may find their way up the sunflower stalks too. The birds love the seeds, and if you roast them, you will too! This variety is shorter than other sunflowers and can be planted as a border around your garden.
Nasturtiums: Empress of India
Nasturtiums are good growing companions for both corn and squash. This variety has deep red flowers and dark foliage to contrast with the lighter green of the corn, beans, and squash. You can eat the peppery flavored flowers and leaves too! They’re great in a salad.
BELOW: 3 Sisters Garden at Heritage Farm
BELOW: Three Sisters Harvest
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