Regions: West India

A long curling gourd of southern and eastern kitchen gardens.

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

Sow thickly in a wide tray and cut the whole crop at three weeks.

The monsoon green that grows itself — heat-proof, rain-proof, ready in a month.

The winter weed worth sowing — mineral-rich leaves through the cold months.

A thick-leaved climbing spinach that thrives in the worst of the monsoon heat.

Needs depth more than width — a 30 cm trough of loose soil beats a wide bed.

Roots below, usable leaves above, and it tolerates a container better than carrot.

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

One plant on a sill supplies a household, and crops for two years.