Goals: Herbs & healing

The spikenard of the high Himalaya, aromatic-rooted and strictly a mountain plant.

A slight winter annual of dry western fields, grown for the husk of its seed.

A dry-country shrub with yellow flowers, tough enough for a Rajasthan roof.

A winter annual of the north-west, grown for the thyme-scented seed.

Plant a knob of market haldi in June; harvest your own in February.

The same trick as turmeric, in slightly more shade and slightly less time.

A curcuma that smells of raw mango — the pickle rhizome of the east.

A marginal water plant for a tub, aromatic-rooted and steady for years.

Grows from a cutting in a glass of water. Keep it in its own pot — it will take over any other.

Thick scented leaves on a succulent stem; one plant fills a windowsill pot for years.