Growing spaces: terrace

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

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

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

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

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.

Two crops a year in the west, and content in a large container.

Handsome, thorny and productive on poor dry soil; good in a big pot.

Sour fruit straight off the trunk, in constant supply on the wet coasts.