The Story of 3 Sisters Soup

There is an Iroquois legend about the three sisters who were very different but who relied on each other to grow: A three sisters garden, where the beans grow up the corn, the corn supports the beans, and the squash covers the ground. In a three sisters garden, corn, beans and squash are planted together to help each other grow strong. The first sister — beans — takes nitrogen from the air and uses it to keep the other sisters healthy. The next sister — corn — grows tall stalks that the beans can climb, holding the plants together. And the last sister — squash — grows big leaves that cover the ground, keeping weeds from growing and making the ground moist. The spiny squash also keeps away any animals that would eat the sisters.