Is your garden the by-product of listening? No doubt, yes, for many of you/us. I have often thought when watching a documentary or YouTube on regenerative-permaculture-biodynamic-Natural processes that, in addition to whatever right brain skills and know-how someone has brought, that it is those who listen who support and induce the most success. This morning I was planting out the Three Sister seeds which had been soaked together overnight. Right brain knows how the sun tracks across the garden and what food crops would benefit from the shading that the growing corn would provide, but it was left brain listening that determined where the Three Sisters of corn, climbing bean, and squash would go. All beings above, below, and around the newly seeded locations cheered.
I had been out for almost two hours. Early morning sun was giving ‘way to mid-morning intensity, so this body was making the labored march back to the house. The soil in a specific part of a raised bed called out “Here.” “Really?” I questioned. The “yes” was unequivocal. “Alright. Happy to listen.”
When my body weakens (MS), it is total body all at once. Nothing can be done about it except get to cooler and shaded before the legs cannot move at all. Yet, the call was undeniable and right response necessary. As I brushed away leaf mulch to pull away the soft soil with my fingers, my heart-mind heard “only Corn”. “Okay then! So it is.” As the seeds were placed and covered, I wondered if the garden wants to display both planting methods: Three Sisters together and corn by itself. Each season the calabasa (squash) and climbing beans have done well, but I have yet to put Corn in the garden. But, yesterday I stopped at an Amish plant shop and they had their Corn seeds. This is the year, then!
The Native Peoples of North and Central America have planted the Three Sisters together since forever. The gift of the seeds from three women who saw the People starving is common across Native lore and wisdom. In the stories, the women inhabited the color of their Gift: yellow for corn, green for bean (the vine and leaves), and orange for the majority of winter squash and pumpkins. The wisdom-stories tell the People to plant them together, that Corn will pioneer, Bean will follow up Corn’s trail, and that Squash will shade the soil and nutrient-giving Beings under the surface so that all three will be bountiful. Then the People will have food even if little or no game or fish is honorably procured.
Here is a fun and informative short video: The Three Sisters, Companion Planting of the North American Indigenous Peoples
Most excellent video! Thanks