three sisters planting

"three sisters planting" is a native american practice, whereby beans,sweet corn and squash are grown together - the corn provides support for the beans to climb and the squash trails underneath and helps keep down the weeds. we've adapted this idea slightly for our garden. we usually grow sweet peas along-side the beans to encourage bees and generally grow a catch crop just in front of the row - this year we have lettuce

corn just starting to grow beside the runner beans and sweet peas

scarlet emperor runner beans from home grown seed and emergo(a white flowered type) were set in pots in the greenhouse during April. the pumpkins and squashes, for here and elsewhere in the garden, were started at the same time- these are a variety of types, some packet seed, some seed saved from purchased squashes and some now home grown seed.

pumpkin now about 3' high but starting to trail sideways

3 different types of squash were planted out along with the beans in early May - a crown prince, a red kabocha and a halloween pumpkin. the corn was set directly into the ground soon after - this is a baby corn type, used for stir-fries, not a corn-on-the-cob type. there are also some accidental potato plants which must be growing from peelings in the compost.

runner beans,sweetpeas and red kabocha squash in flower, seen from above

everything seems to be doing well at the moment.the lettuce at the front of the row has grown really well. beans,sweetpeas and the red kabocha squash are flowering. the halloween pumpkin is a larger plant with buds on though no flowers yet. the crown prince squash is the slowest in growth,but whether due to its type or location I'm not sure.