This week I am planting sweetcorn, beans and squashes. This is a Native American system known as the Three Sisters. The beans will climb up the corn, and the squashes will shade the ground to keep down the weeds. I’ve found a plan that has the beans and corn in the middle, and the squashes around. I’ve been organising the plants, all starting off in the greenhouse, and now ready to go to the allotment. I’m trusting that the last frost has been, and they will be safe. I’ve arranged them in the garden here, and now I must take them to the allotment, plant them and leave them. I feel they will be too vulnerable, and I want to keep them here!
I really don’t want to let my little plants go. It’s a big bad world out there. I’ve been going out every night with a torch to find slugs and snails and re-home them – I can’t kill them and so I pop them over the wall and allow them to seek their fortune elsewhere. I won’t be able to do this at the allotment, not every day.
Mother Earth will take care of them. Here is the story of the day, with my daughter Ellen helping me.
A fantastic day, told here in pictures.
Plants arranged in the garden 
Plants in transit 
Plants arriving 
Plants arriving 
Setting out the Sisters 
Setting out 
Boo thinks gardening is boring 
The tools 
Cut the cardboard 
Dig a hole in the earth 
Planting 
Bruno helping 
Watering 
Done
Now it’s in the lap of Mother Earth. What a good day, and when I took Ellen back home she took some compost and cardboard with her and made her own no-dig bed, finishing after dark. So inspiring!
This is the story – and we might even get some food!
a small forest garden 
Meanwhile on the Enborne experiment managed to source loads of cardboard which an amazingly strong and incredibly kind man called Ed carried to my car. We have climbing beans (2nd time lucky) Cotte Violette and Blue Lake, and some Shiraz mangetout peas. Plus I got a kiwi fruit (apparently in a hot summer they can fruit?!) and a blackcurrant. And the kale (thanks Mike) is all fine bar one, gone to the slugs… and my dad’s comfrey definitely loving it here! Inspiring story about the 3 sisters, and the encouraged daughter. Best, Liz
I love THIS method too! I’ve never heard about this 3 Sisters deal… it’s so smart though. Makes sense. What kind of squash are you growing?
I can’t get over how rich and dark your soil/compost looks. I have sandy soil. Actually, it’s just sand. And I’m just insanely jealous of yours,lol!
Thank you. I’ll write here about how it goes – it is my first attempt using this method. The soil you see is soil conditioner, bought in. It comes from the local recycling centre, composted garden waste. It covers the area and the worms come and get it and mix it in with the soil underneath. If you add something like this to your sandy soil it will improve over time and help to make the soil hold more water. And no need to dig at all. Let the worms do the work!
Wow, it just looks so healthy, the possibilities are endless on what you could grow in it.
I don’t think we have a place like that around our parts, but we do compost our kitchen scraps and have some bins in the backyard. It will hopefully be ready by next spring to lay down.
The squashes all came from Seed Co-operative, a wonderful seed company. The are Hungarian Blue, Orange Hokkaido and Custard White Pattison. There is also a pumpkin called Muscade de Provence and two types of courgette, Gold Rush and Cocozelle von Tripolis. I will write in the blog about how they do and which does best.
Ooo! I’ve never heard of any of them, which is very exciting! I’m used to same old kind in the grocery all the time. I am growing Delicata squash, first time, that is my unique one that the grocery never has.
I am looking for a seed company to buy from next winter, I will check out your recommendation! Thanks!