Three Sisters Garden

The Three Sisters planting method is a traditional Native American planting method used by many tribes across what is now the United States. Planting methods vary across tribes, as well as the types of plants planted. We plant our Three Sisters garden based on the Wampanoag garden design outlined in "Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects and Recipes for Families" by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac.

The Three Sisters Garden is an example of companion planting, a planting method in which plants are planted together to benefit one or both of the plants. Corn, bean and squash are the three “sisters” in this garden, with sunflower sometimes included as a fourth “sister.” The corn sister grows strong and tall, providing support for her bean sister to vine skyward. The bean sister, a nitrogen-fixing legume, returns the favor by converting nitrogen from the air to a form that is usable by the nutrient-hungry corn at her roots. Finally, the squash sister snakes along the ground, acting as a living mulch with her broad leaves to keep in moisture and suppress weeds. Her prickly stems also help to deter small animals from eating out of the garden. Eaten together, the Three Sisters provide a nutritionally complete meal.

Grown in Our Three Sisters Garden (2019)