Perhaps one of the simplest and most elegant examples of permaculture principles was the three sisters of North America. A traditional combination of squash, beans, and corn in a single planting that was utilized throughout pre-Colombian America. The symbiosis of the 3 plants is quite dramatic and really informative.
How the Three Sisters works
Beans feed everyone. Since beans are legumes, they fix nitrogen to the soil but need support to grow on.
Corn is tall and hungry, the stalks support the beans and it benefits from the nitrogen they provide.
Squash is low with deep roots and broad leaves. It spreads out between the corn stalks and shades the ground. It prevents weeds and pulls nutrients from deep in the soil.
Adapting it for my garden.
Unfortunately, the three sisters aren’t the best fit for a tiny urban plot. So I’m tweaking it. Corn, in particular, will be a problem. Since I need to grow everything in pots, I may have a hard time getting good pollination from the corn. I’ll try my best but will likely end up earless. For this reason, I’ve picked an ornamental variety of corn to at least provide visual interest. Similarly, I went with Scarlet runner beans for the same reason, they have quit attractive flowers. Lastly, I went with a pretty generic choice of hard winter squash to complete the set.
I’m planting the arrangement in 4 24″ pots arranged in a row along the wall of my garage. They’ll be nestled amongst the berry bushes of the Food Hedge.