Growing spaces: terrace

The dye plant of history, nitrogen-fixing and undemanding.

The mehndi hedge of the dry west — scented flowers and dye leaves.

Khus — a grass whose roots hold a slope together and scent a summer room.

The tejpatta of north Indian cooking — a hill tree, not the Mediterranean bay.

The gongura of Andhra kitchens — sour leaves and later, calyces for sherbet.

Grown for fibre and calyces in the west and centre; a striking tall annual.

Desi cotton — the indigenous species, hardier than the imported kinds.

Ladakh and Himachal fruit — blossom in March, fruit in June, dried for winter.

The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity.

Coppiced for its inner bark; the leaf is a spice in its own right.