Our Future

Saved Bean Seeds

These are just a few of the seeds I saved from last year's gardens.

Beans: Final Yield 2016

This is third harvest from two plots

Last Bean Harvest; 2016

Good Growing in Community Garden

Looking Ahead

This year I had planned to create a heritage garden planting seeds that would have been used in this region by any settlers in the year. Time and other factors swayed me in another direction. Next year I will focus on peas and beans in my community garden plot.  Heritage Harvest has proven to be an excellent provider of what I need. I will post updates here, including photos of the seeds I choose and the whole process.

First Beans

They were a bit late but still delicious. I picked the first (12) beans this  morning from my community garden plot. Watered, onions and garlic coming along as are the sunflowers. I get asked why  I grow sunflowers and  I say, one I love how they look, two, the bees love them, and three for the seeds.

Happy gardening.

Organic Fertilizer Test

The Inspire Coop is testing an organic fertilizer. The beans and squash in my community garden plot are part of that test. this picture shows the beans after the first application. July 7, 2016.

Beans

The beans in my community garden plot got off to a slow start but the recent heat is moving them along.

"For the home gardener, there are two types of beans that you will want to consider. One is the pole bean. Pole beans will need some kind of support; a support that is strong enough to keep the plants from tumbling to the ground."  more

Beans

Growing in kitchen on dryer and in peat pots

Heritage Seeds

The Three Sisters

One of the oldest plant communities that we know of is the Three Sisters, beans, corn and squash. It is a First Nations planting method that goes back for several centuries and is often associated with the Iroquois.

Now corn is not often a crop that a backyard gardener, unless the backyard is a good size will plant but it can be a great community garden crop and the sisters can make an excellent shared garden within a community garden.

However, if you have the space or simply want to experiment then the 3 sisters will increase your yield and reduce your labour.

The three plants work together to help one another grow and help the grower get a healthy crop. The beans grow up the corm stalks and provide the nitrogen that helps the corn grow and the squash is planted between the corn rows and acts as living mulch and thereby reduces the need to weed and water.

Growing Corn:

If you are planning to plant corn then you will need a minimum of three rows (ideally four) of about four feet in length. You will also need to leave a three foot space between rows.

This minimum space allows adequate pollination for the corn. Corn is pollinated by pollen from its tassels (the tops of the corn plant). Corn usually only produces one or two ears per stalk.

Now consider corn and tomatoes; tomatoes, which are self pollinating so you only need one plant to produce a number of tomatoes.

The main reason that I am introducing you to the three sisters is to expand upon the plant community concept and to help you understand that your garden will achieve its best results when it grows naturally or at least when the design you choose is modeled on nature and not on an artificial construct.

When it comes to gardening, work and Life itself, we will thrive if we let Nature be our guide and teacher and model our activities after the lessons that nature provides each and every day.

Beans, corn, squash

One of the more commonly know plant associations is beans, corn and squash. It is a First Nations planting method that goes back for several centuries and is often associated with the Iroquois.

Now corn is not often a crop that a backyard gardener, unless the backyard is a good size will plant but it can be a great community garden crop and the sisters can make an excellent shared garden within a community garden.

However, if you have the space or simply want to experiment then the 3 sisters will increase your yield and reduce your labour.

The three plants work together to help one another grow and help the grower get a healthy crop. The beans grow up the corm stalks and provide the nitrogen that helps the corn grow and the squash is planted between the corn rows and acts as living mulch and thereby reduces the need to weed and water.