Three Sisters Garden proves fruitful at Wilder Museum
By Dean Wells, dwells@timesobserver.comArticle Photos
It's a technique so old, it predates the birth of Christ by 3,000 years.
Native Americans were using it 46 centuries before the Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock.
It's called The Three Sisters Garden, and it's so effective and simplistic, it's a wonder it's not commonplace in gardens across Pennsylvania.
"It's amazing," says Bill DeVlieger, curator of the Wilder Museum in Irvine. DeVlieger learned the technique of planting corn, squash and beans together around a small mound of soil while teaching at the Faithkeepers School on the Seneca reservation in New York. "It works so well," DeVlieger says, waving his hand toward the garden located behind the museum. "We'll be pulling vegetables out of here for the next two months."
DeVlieger directed the planting of the Three Sisters Garden at the Wilder in May as part of a workshop for the Allegheny Folk School. The folk school's workshops focus on teaching people various historical skills. The garden draws inspiration directly from the Iroquois' techniques of raising vegetables.
"This specific style is kind of traditional to the area to the Iroquois people," DeVlieger says. "It was used here 500 years ago. This was originally Erie country, but the Seneca moved in."
In a traditional Three Sisters garden, a fish is placed in a mound of soil. Corn seeds are added. The fish releases nitrogen into the soil as it decays. "That gives the corn its initial boost," DeVlieger says.
According to DeVlieger, it is Seneca tradition to plant the mound with five corn sides. "Four to make it grow, one for the crow," he says. "After it comes up, you thin it down to the strongest plant."
That nitrogen boost is continued by beans, which are planted around the mound.
"Beans have the unique ability to breathe in nitrogen and put it in the soil," DeVlieger says. "In trade, the corn stalks create a natural trellis for the beans."
The third plant in the Three Sisters' triumvirate?
Squash.
As it grows, squash vines fan out, providing cover, choking off weeds below from needed sunlight. It eliminates the need to weed the garden. As an added bonus, the spiny-ness of the squash plants wards off hungry critters such as chipmunks and rabbits.
Excuse the pun, but the Three Sisters acts as the complete "green" garden, providing natural fertilizer, trellises and varmint control in one package.
"It's amazing," DeVlieger says. "And it's pretty low maintenance."
According to DeVlieger, the story of the Three Sisters garden can be traced back to the Iroquois' creation myth. The myth, which DeVlieger says takes about an hour to tell, can be distilled to this: the three plants sprouted from the body of Mother Earth, and went on to sustain the Iroquois people.
DeVlieger made some modern adjustments for the Wilder's Three Sisters garden. Instead of placing fish in the mounds, he used horse manure.
"The Indians probably wouldn't be too happy hearing that," says DeVlieger. "But my parents have horses, so I had a big supply. I didn't have any problems using it."
DeVlieger bought variety packs of summer squash seeds from Agway in Youngsville. He also planted zucchini and some pumpkins to see how they'd fare in the Three Sisters concept.
So far, so good.
"I sent 30 zucchini to the Rouse Home," DeVlieger says. "I was sick of it, my wife was sick of it. I called the Rouse and asked the lady who answered if she wanted some. She said, 'How many do you got?' I said, '50.' She said, 'Well . . . I don't think we need that many!"
