Seasons: Monsoon

Summer staple for a sunny terrace; pick every second day or pods turn woody.

A monsoon climber that will roof a terrace in eight weeks given a frame.

Ridged monsoon gourd, quick to climb and quicker to over-mature.

A monsoon-flowering lily of the western hills, grown for its white tuber cluster.

A prickly low solanum of wasteland, with violet flowers bumblebees buzz-pollinate.

The black nightshade of monsoon fields — a leafy green in the east, a weed elsewhere.

A tiny monsoon herb that appears in every wet pot, with fruit strung under the leaf.

The lichen of the spice box — not planted, but a reason to keep old trees standing.

Camphor basil — a big grey-green bush that fills a terrace with scent.

A slender twiner of scrub and hedges, with fragrant roots and small dark flowers.