Companion Plants and The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters is a method of companion planting - specifically the practice of planting corn, squash and beans together. This practice is believed to have originated with the Haudenosaunee or "People of the Longhouse." These companion plants grow well together for several reasons. The corn stalks support the bean vines, and the squash vines shade out weeds and help to keep the soil moist. As well, the bean roots capture nitrogen from the air, which is then released into the soil to nourish the nitrogen-hungry corn. I did some reading, and a bit of research, and decided on one of the several different ways I found to grow this combination.
We divided the garden into 1 yard x 1 yard squares - 3 squares wide and 5 squares long, to fill the garden area. We used old straw from the previous year to mark out the pathways between the squares. And we made each square into a bit of a hill.