Pole beans

Cucumber, (Cucumis sativus), is a creeping plant of the gourd family widely cultivated for its edible fruit. Cucumber is a warm season annual vine. The nutritional value of the cucumber is low, but its delicate flavour makes it popular for salads and relishes. Cucumber can be grown in frames or on trellises in greenhouses in cool climates and can be cultivated as a field crops and grown in home gardens in warmer areas.

Karela or Bitter gourd is a vining plant that grows much like cucumbers or melons in the  hot summer sun. White Bitter melon is easily recognized by its bumpy, warty oblong-shaped skin, giving the initial appearance of a malformed white cucumber. Even its flesh can be misleading, bearing a spongy seed cavity looking more similar to that of a cucumber than of a melon. Unlike other  melons, Bitter melons do not require peeling.

The fruit’s flesh is pale green to white in color and  contains layers of flat white seeds which will turn red as the fruit matures. The bitterness in the  melon is about the only flavor that the melon delivers. This bitterness is not a uniform bitterness  and can range from fruit to fruit. Generally, the younger the fruit, the more bitter. Large, riper  fruit will be more mellow and the flesh will become spongy. 

Mulaikeerai – This superfood is packed with all essential nutrients and is a bright choice for a healthy meal. Growing this perennial is easy and is ideal for a balcony garden. Not only the bright green leaves and the stems can be cooked, the seeds can be included as cereals for a protein rich meal.