The Three Sisters Planting

The Three Sisters Garden is usually planted in mounds that are about one foot tall and two to four feet wide. These mounds are normally spaced about 6 feet apart. All three sisters, corn, beans, and squash are planted in this mound in a symbiotic planting that benefits all three.

First plant the 4 to 6 corn seeds in the center of the mound when the soil reaches about 50* F. Let this planting grow first before planting the second sister.

About 3 weeks after planting the corn and once the corn reaches 6 to 12 inches tall, plant the bean seeds. As the corn is growing, the beans are sending down deep roots. The corn acts as a support system later.

About one week after planting the beans, plant the third sister, the squash. The squash acts as a ground cover and protects the rest from pests.

It is best to plant old varieties of each crop for the best results. A sturdy corn, a climbing or pole bean, and a storage squash.

For a more complete instructions, check out the article on Buy Me A Coffee, or read the article below.

And check out Native Seed Search or Seed Savers Exchange for suitable varieties for a Three Sisters Garden.

The Fourth Garden

The Fourth Meditation Garden in my minds eye takes a step into the future. While we are living in the moment and working in the current moment in time, it is important to take the long view of the future. It is in seeing the long arc of potential outcomes and interactions that we are able to gauge our actions of today. It is every step that we take today, that the future is created. When we dream a positive future and keep that vision firmly in mind, that we can see the truth of how our behavior creates our future.

Everything in the fourth garden has a gift to the future. As the plants, animals, and insects interact, the future shifts and ripples in waves of time. What are your dreams of the future? How does that future change if you take out one plant or element and replace it with another? What happens with different people in your life? Different boundaries? What do you see when you shift the elements in your life? What changes in one month? One year? Five years? 20 years?

Some of the plants that encourage vision include: borage, corn, garlic, violets, oregano, wormwood, holly, lavender, thyme, and ash, and some others.

What would support you in seeing the potential for your future.

So You Ask, What is Granny’s Magic?

In a Riddle, I Answer Thee

Kissed by Dragon’s Fire

The Phoenix takes flight

She sheds a single Tear

When she comes to lite

Wielding the tempered Sword

Honed on Hell’s gate

She walks through life’s Trials

Determining her own fate

She walks the outer Hedge

With the Owl’s sight

Guided by the Hawk

To do that which is right

Holding to shreds of Hope

The magic she does gather

She wastes not a moment

On gossip’s biting chatter

With courage she bears the Scars

From the wounds that she bled

To turn the rough into Abundance

There are babes to be fed

And for a little bit more

Events

May 1 - May Day

May 3 - Herb Day

May 4 - Star Wars Day

May 11 - Mother’s day

May 19 - Canadian Victoria Day, Wold Plant a Garden Day

May 26 - Memorial Day

Lemon Grass

Lemon grass is two species of a genus of fragrant tropical grasses that are used for food and medicine. West India lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus is more often used in cooking. East India lemon grass, Cymbopogon flexussus is more often used to create essential oil. They can be used interchangeably. A closely related species, Cumbopogon nardus, is used for the production of citronella and is not considered to be edible.

These grasses are only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11 in the United States, so lemon grass is best grown in a container. Then bring it inside during cold weather. Temperatures below 40* F (5* C) will kill this plant. This is an easy herb to grow and can be very productive in a 5 gallon pot. Be aware though that the cute little nursery plant that you bring home can get 4 feet tall (maybe a bit more). This grass needs lots of sunlight, moisture, and humidity. It grows best in temperatures between 70* F (21* C) and 90* F (32* C). It wants well drained and fertile soil with a high organic content.

I love lemon grass for its intense citrus aroma and lemon flavor. I have grown it several times and it is usually easy to grow and to propagate. The only challenge that I have is that I tend to forget about it. (Maybe it is too easy to grow.) I tend to leave it outside a bit too late in the fall.

This is a staple cooking herb in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The inside and bottom 1/3 of the stalk is used to flavor chicken, vegetables, sups, seafood, pork, and sauces. It has a bright flavor that blends well with ginger or mint. The outer portions and leaves of the lemon grass are used to make tea, syrups, and medicine. These parts of the plant can also be used to make incense, potpourri, and formulas for the home and garden.

As a medicinal tea, the lemon grass has a wide range of helpful effects. It soothes issues with the gastrointestinal system, including stomach upset, cramps, and spasms, and diarrhea. It has been used to treat colds, the flu, and sore throats and congestion. It is supportive of cardio-vascular health and neurological health.

Topically, it is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. It has been used to treat sore muscles and joint pain. Some people use it to treat minor skin irritations and insect bites. It seems to be an effective treatment for minor cuts. Some people use it to treat athlete’s foot. It is also used in a number of hair and facial products.

And this is only a short list of what lemon grass is used for.

There are a number of cautions in order. Lemon grass is an important herb for women’s health. As such, do not take lemon grass when you are pregnant. Lemon grass may interact with sedatives. Lemon grass may also interact with medications that are changed by the liver. Lemon grass is strong medicine. Consult with your medical provider before you use lemon grass.

To get the complete lemon grass plant profile, click on the button for The Phoenix’s nest. And subscribe while you are there.

The Three Sisters

Many cultures around the world have a three part base to their traditional cropping system. It is usually a grain, a legume, and a storage vegetable. In North America, the traditional base is the Native American Three Sisters cropping system. The Three Sisters are Maize, Beans, and Squash. But, this was more than a cropping system. It was a spiritual system and a life lesson as well.

Each culture that grew The Three Sisters had its own set of stories revolving around them, but here are several common themes that run through all of the stories and teachings. The Three Sisters are a divine gift from the Sacred Feminine and are an embodiment of the Sacred Feminine. There always grown together. The Three Sisters and the stories around them teach the core values of community and living. Respect each other in our unique ways of seeing and being. Support one another in developing our strengths and compensating for our weaknesses. Give freely to the world of our gifts and accept the gifts that the world has to offer. Take responsibility, and work together.

When we look at this cropping system and its genius, we find these crops are 20% more productive when they are grown together than when they are grown apart. Where they are grown together, they nourish the soil and the environment. When these crops are mono cropped, they are damaging to the soil and the environment. Together, they form the basis for a healthy diet. When the three are consumed together, they contain all 9 essential amino acids required for human health. And growing them is best accomplished as a community project.

A Three Sisters planting is usually done in mounds that are about a foot tall and two to four feet in diameter depending on the specific system being used. These mounds are spaced about 6 feet apart. In each mound, corn , beans and squash are planted and grown in a symbiotic relationship. Sometimes, fish scraps or other high nitrogen food scrap are placed in the center of the mound for an early nutrient boost.

The first Sister that is Planted is the corn seed. Around the center of each mound, Plant 4 to 6 corn seeds. The corn stands tall and strong. Each leaf is positioned to capture the light needed to fuel the system. They funnel water down into the roots. The fibrous roots create a shallow mat just below the surface of the soil. Plant the corn seeds when the soil temperature reaches about 50* F (10* C). This gives the corn a head start so that it gains the strength that it needs to support the Second Sister.

About three weeks later, when the corn is 6 to 12 inches tall, plant the Second Sister. Plant 3 or 4 bean seeds around each corn stalk. The beans first growth is a low growing mound of leaves that feed the roots to encourage deep root growth. A few weeks later, the beans send out long tendrils of growth that gently twine around the corn stalks and reach up towards the sky. These legumes draw nitrogen out of the air and fix it into the soil in a form that the corn and squash can use. The deep, sturdy roots help to stabilize the corn and protect it from the strong summer storms. The beans find the gaps between the corn leaves to place its own leaves and flowers.

Finally, the last Sister, the squash, is planted around the edges of the mound. These are planted about one week after the beans are planted. Usually 6 squash seeds are evenly spaced around the mound. From here, the squash spreads outwards, shading the ground and sending out roots where ever the vine touches the ground. This youngest sister holds the moisture in the ground and suppresses weed growth. The prickly leaves and vines discourage visits from unwanted guests. None of the four legged guests that would normally like the corn and beans like walking through the squash.

The combination of the three also attracts pollinating insects. Sometimes, sunflowers or amaranth were added to the mix to make it more attractive to the pollinators. All of these food crops originated in central to northern Mexico, where they were domesticated, probably about 10,000 years ago. This planting system was so successful, that variations of it spread out of Mexico and across most of the current United States and southern Canada. The specifics required to get it to work are fairly well defined but vary a bit from region to region. Use this as a guide, but check with your local elders to see what they have to say.

The best varieties to use for this will be the old heirloom varieties of corn and the old pole varieties of beans. A storage type squash was what would have been planted.

I would check Native Seed Search or Seed Saver’s Exchange for suitable varieties.

Here is the Three Sisters article on Buy Me a Coffee

For the spiritual meaning of the Three Sisters check this article

And I'm Not The Only One

Here are a couple of places to find more information.

Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

For complete plant profiles: https://the-phoenixs-nest.beehiiv.com/

Some one I'm following:

Here are two excellent seed sources:

Native Seed Search

Seed Saver’s Exchange