Regions: North India

Sprawls generously and stores well; the leaves and flowers are food too.

Fast, thirsty and best trained up a net where air can move around it.

Drought-hardy bean of the west — fixes nitrogen and crops where little else will.

Pods, beans and green manure from one undemanding monsoon plant.

Bush beans for winter troughs; pole kinds for a balcony net.

The winter sem of the plains, purple-flowered and heavy-cropping on a fence.

A shrubby pulse that stands two years, fixes nitrogen and shelters small birds.

A winter pulse that also gives the sour green leaf of the north.

Quick winter roots for the plains, and greens while you wait.

One good plant in a 40 cm pot out-yields four crowded ones. Stake it early.