Goals: Flowers & beauty

Drops its scented white flowers at dawn — the harsingar of temple courtyards.

Grows from a bare cutting pushed into dry soil; scents a whole terrace.

Golden champa — a tall tree whose flowers are sold by the handful at dusk.

Flowers through the hottest months on almost no water. Every part is poisonous.

Thrives on being ignored — the more you neglect it, the harder it flowers.

Grown for seed rather than leaf; magenta heads over the whole monsoon.

A dry-hill root used to colour oil a deep red; slight above ground, tough below.

Fine blue-white flowers over ferny leaves, then the black seed of the spice box.

The dark-leaved tulsi, sharper in scent and a little slower to grow than the green.