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Manual of Gardening (Second Edition) by L. H. Bailey

L >> L. H. Bailey >> Manual of Gardening (Second Edition)




Arrow-wood, _V. dentatum._(A) Usually 5-8 ft., but becoming taller.

Dockmackie, _V. acerifolium._(A) Maple-like foliage; 4-5 ft.

Withe-rod, lilac viburnum, _V. cassinoides.(A) 2-5_ ft. Other native and
exotic viburnums are desirable.

Xanthoceras, _Xanthoceras sorbifolia._ Allied to the buckeyes; hardy in
parts of New England; 8--10ft.; handsome.

Prickly ash, _Zanthoxylum Americanum._(A)

_Shrubs for the South._

Many of the shrubs in the preceding catalogue are also well adapted to
the southeastern states. The following brief list includes some of the
most recommendable kinds for the region south of Washington, although
some of them are hardy farther North. The asterisk (A) denotes that the
plant is native to this country.

The crape myrtle _(Lagerstroemia Indica_) is to the South what the
lilac is to the North, a standard dooryard shrub; produces handsome red
(or blush or white) flowers all summer; 8-12 feet.

Reliable deciduous shrubs for the South are: althea, _Hibiscus
Syriacus,_ in many forms; _Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis; Azalea
calendulacea,(A) mollis,_ and the Ghent azalea _(A. Pontica)_; blue
spirea, _Caryopteris Mastacanihus;_ European forms of ceanothus; French
mulberry, _Callicarpa Americana_(A); calycanthus(A); flowering willow,
_Chilopsis linearis_(A); fringe, _Chionanthus Vir ginica_(A); white
alder, _Clethra alnifolia_(A); corchorus, _Kerria Japonica;_ deutzias,
of several kinds; goumi, _Eloeagnus longipes;_ pearl bush, _Exochorda
grandiflora;_ Japan quince, _Cydonia Japonica;_ golden-bell, _Forsythia
viridissima;_ broom, _Spartium junceum;_ hydrangeas, including _H.
Otaksa,_ grown under cover in the North; _Jasminum nudiflorum;_ bush
honey suckles; mock orange, _Philadelphus coronarius_ and
_grandiflorus_(A); pomegranate; white kerria, _Rhodotypos kerrioides;_
smoke tree, _Rhus Cotinus;_ rose locust, _Robinia hispida_(A); spireas
of several kinds; _Stuartia pentagyna_(A); snowberry, _Symphoricarpos
racemosus_(A); lilacs of many kinds; viburnums of several species,
including the European and Japanese snowballs; weigelas of the various
kinds; chaste-tree, _Vitex Agnus-Castus;_ Thunberg's barberry; red
pepper, _Capsicum frutescens; Plumbago Capensis;_ poinsettia.

A large number of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs thrive in the South,
such as: fetter bush, _Andromeda floribunda_(A); some of the palms, as
palmettoes(A) and chamaerops; cycas and zamia(A) far South; _Abelia
grandiflora;_ strawberry tree, _Arbutus Unedo;_ ardisias and aucubas,
both grown under glass in the North; azaleas and rhododendrons (not only
_R. Catawbiense_(A) but _R. maximum(A) R, Ponticum,_ and the garden
forms); _Kalmia latifolia(A); Berberis Japonica_ and mahonia(A); box;
_Cleyera Japonica;_ cotoneasters and pyracantha; eleagnus of the types
grown under glass in the North; gardenias; euonymus(A); hollies(A);
anise-tree, _Illicium anisatum;_ cherry laurels, _Prunus_ or
_Laurocerasus_ of several species; mock orange (of the South), _Prunus
Caroliniana_(A) useful for hedges; true laurel or bay-tree, _Laurus
nobilis;_ privets of several species; _Citrus trifoliata,_ specially
desirable for hedges; oleanders; magnolias(A); myrtle, _Myrtus communis;
Osmanthus (Olea) fragrans,_ a greenhouse shrub North; _Osmanthus
Aquifolium_(A); butcher's broom, _Ruscus aculeatus;_ phillyreas(A);
_Pittosporum Tobira;_ shrubby yuccas(A); _Viburnum Tinus_ and others;
and the camellia in many forms.

[Illustration XIV: Virginia creeper screen, on an old fence, with
wall-flowers and hollyhocks in front.]

6. CLIMBING PLANTS

Vines do not differ particularly in their culture from other herbs and
shrubs, except as they require that supports be provided; and, as they
overtop other plants, they demand little room on the ground, and they
may therefore be grown in narrow or unused spaces along fences
and walls.

In respect to the modes of climbing, vines may be thrown into three
groups,--those that twine about the support; those that climb by means
of special organs, as tendrils, roots, leaf stalks; those that neither
twine nor have special organs but that scramble over the support, as the
climbing roses and the brambles. One must recognize the mode of climbing
before undertaking the cultivation of any vine.

Vines may also be grouped into annuals, both tender (as morning-glory)
and hardy (as sweet pea); biennials, as adlumia, which are treated
practically as annuals, being sown each year for bloom the next year;
herbaceous perennials, the tops dying each fall down to a persisting
root, as cinnamon vine and madeira vine; woody perennials (shrubs), the
tops remaining alive, as Virginia creeper, grape, and wistaria.

There is scarcely a garden in which climbing plants may not be used to
advantage. Sometimes it may be to conceal obtrusive objects, again to
relieve the monotony of rigid lines. They may also be used to run over
the ground and to conceal its nakedness where other plants could not
succeed. The shrubby kinds are often useful about the borders of clumps
of trees and shrubbery, to slope the foliage down to the grass, and to
soften or erase lines in the landscape.

In the South and in California, great use is made of vines, not only on
fences but on houses and arbors. In warm countries, vines give character
to bungalows, pergolas, and other individual forms of architecture.

If it is desired that the vines climb high, the soil should be fertile;
but high climbing in annual plants (as in sweet peas) may be at the
expense of bloom.

The use of vines for screens and pillar decorations has increased in
recent years until now they may be seen in nearly all grounds. The
tendency has been towards using the hardy vines, of which the
ampelopsis, or Virginia creeper, is one of the most common. This is a
very rapid grower, and lends itself to training more readily than many
others. The Japan ampelopsis (_A. tricuspidata_ or _Veitchii_) is a good
clinging vine, growing very rapidly when once established, and
brilliantly colored after the first fall frosts. It clings closer than
the other, but is not so hardy. Either of these may be grown from
cuttings or division of the plants.

Two recommendable woody twiners of recent distribution are the actinidia
and the akebia, both from Japan. They are perfectly hardy, and are rapid
growers. The former has large thick glossy leaves, not affected by
insects or disease, growing thickly along the stem and branches, making
a perfect thatch. It blooms in June. The flowers, which are white with a
purple center, are borne in clusters, followed by round or longish
edible fruits. The akebia has very neat-cut foliage, quaint purple
flowers, and often bears ornamental fruit.

Of the tender vines, the nasturtiums and ipomeas and morning-glories are
the most common in the North, while the adlumia, balloon vine, passion
vine, gourds, and others, are frequently used. One of the best of recent
introduction is the annual hop, especially the variegated variety. This
is a very rapid-growing vine, seeding itself each year, and needing
little care. The climbing geraniums (_Pelargonium peltatum_ and its
derivatives) are much used in California. All the tender vines should be
planted after danger of frost is past.

So many good vines are now on the market that one may grow a wide
variety for many uses. The home gardener should keep his eyes open for
the wild vines of his neighborhood and add the best of them to his
collection. Most of these natives are worthy of cultivation. Even the
poison ivy makes a very satisfactory cover for rough and inaccessible
places in the wild, and its autumn color is very attractive; but of
course its cultivation cannot be recommended.

Vines that cling closely to walls of buildings are Virginia creeper (one
form does not cling well), Boston or Japanese ivy _(Ampelopsis
tricuspidata;_ also _A. Lowii,_ with smaller foliage), English ivy,
euonymus _(E. radicans_ and the var. _variegata_), and _Ficus repens_
far south; others that cling less closely are trumpet creeper, and
climbing hydrangea _(Schizophragma hydrangeoides)._

Vines for trailing, or covering the ground, are periwinkle _(Vinca),_
herniaria, moneywort _(Lysimachia nummularia_), ground-ivy _(Nepeta
Glechoma), Rosa Wichuraiana,_ species of native greenbrier or smilax
(not the so-called smilax of florists), _Rubus laciniatus,_ dewberries,
and also others that usually are not classed as vines. In the South,
Japanese honeysuckle and Cherokee rose perform this function
extensively. In California, species of mesembryanthemum (herbaceous) are
extensively used as ground covers on banks. Page 86.

For quickly covering brush and rough places, the many kinds of gourds
may be used; also pumpkins and squashes, watermelons, _Cucumis
foetidissima,_ wild cucumbers _(Echinocystis lobata_ and _Sicyos
angulata_), nasturtiums, and other vigorous annuals. Many of the woody
perennials may be used for such purposes, but usually these places are
only temporary.

For arbors, strong woody vines are desired. Grapes are excellent; in the
South the muscadine and scuppernong grapes are adaptable to this purpose
(Plate XV). Actinidia and wistaria are also used. Akebia, dutchman's
pipe, trumpet creeper, clematis, honeysuckles, may be suggested. Roses
are much used in warm climates.

For covering porches, the standard vine in the North is Virginia
creeper. Grapes are admirable, particularly some of the wild ones. Japan
honeysuckle is much used; and it has the advantage of holding its
foliage well into the winter, or even all winter southward. Actinidia,
akebia, wistaria, roses, dutch-man's pipe, and clematis are to be
recommended; the large-flowered clematises, however, are more valuable
for their bloom than for their foliage (_C. paniculata,_ and the native
species are better for covering porches).

The annual vines are mostly used as flower-garden subjects, as the sweet
pea, morning-glories, mina, moonflowers, cypress vine, nasturtiums,
cobea, scarlet runner. Several species of convolvulus, closely allied to
the common morning-glory, have now enriched our lists. For baskets and
vases the maurandia and the different kinds of thunbergias are
excellent.

The moonflowers are very popular in the South, where the seasons are
long enough to allow them to develop to perfection. In the North they
must be started early (it is a good plan to soak or notch the seeds) and
be given a warm exposure and good soil (see in Chap. VIII).

In the following lists, the plants native to the United States or Canada
are marked by an asterisk ((A)).

_Annual herbaceous climbers._ (Grown each year from seed.)

a. _Tendril-climbers_

Adlumia (biennial).(A)

Balloon Vine _(Cardiospermum)_.(A)

Cobea.

Gourds.

Nasturtiums _(Tropaeolum)._

Canary-bird Flower _(Tropaeolum peregrinum_).

Sweet pea (Fig. 265).

Wild cucumber.(A)

Maurandia.

Gourds or gourd-like plants, as, _Coccinia Indica;_ Cucumis of several
interesting species, as _C. erinaceus, grossularioeformis,
odoratissimus;_ dipper or bottle gourd _(Lagenaria)_;

vegetable sponge, dish-cloth gourd, rag gourd _(Luffa);_ balsam apple,
balsam pear _(Momordica)_; snake gourd _(Trichosanthes)_; bryonopsis;

_Abobra viridiflora._

All the above except sweet pea are quickly cut down by frost.

_b. Twiners_

Beans, Flowering.

Cypress vine.

Dolichos Lablab, and others.

Hop, Japanese.

Ipomcea Quamoclit (cypress vine) and others.

Moonflower, several species.

Morning-glory.

Mina lobata.

Thunbergia.

Mikania scandens.(A)

Butterfly pea, _Centrosema Virginiana._(A)

Scarlet runner, _Phaseolus multiflorus_ (perennial South).

Velvet or banana bean, _Mucuna pruriens_ var. _utilis_ (for the South).

[Illustration: Fig. 265. Sweet pea.]

_Perennial herbaceous climbers._

(The tops dying down in fall, but the root living over winter and
sending up a new top.)

_a. Tendril-climbers or root-climbers_

Everlasting pea, _Lathyrus latifolius._ Clematis of various species, as
_C. aromatica, Davidiana, heracleaefolia (C. tubulosa_), are more or
less climbing. Most of the clematises are shrubs.

May-pop, _Passiflora incarnata._(A) Not reliable north of Virginia.

Wild Gourd, _Cucurbita foetidissima (Cucumis perennius_).(A) Excellent
strong rugged vine for covering piles on the ground.

[Illustration: Fig. 266. Clematis Henryi. One-third natural size.]

Mexican rose, mountain rose, _Antigonon leptopus._

Root tuberous; a rampant grower, with pink bloom; outdoors South, and a
conservatory plant North.

Kenilworth ivy, _Linaria Cymbalaria._

A very graceful little perennial vine, re-sowing itself even where not
hardy; favorite for baskets.

_b. Herbaceous twiners_

Hop, _Humulus Lupulus._(A)

Produces the hops of commerce, but should be in common use as an
ornamental plant.

Chinese yam, cinnamon vine, _Dioscorea divaricata (D. Batatas_).

Climbs high, but does not produce as much foliage as some other vines.

Wild yam, _D. villosa._(A)

Smaller than the preceding; otherwise fully as good.

Ground-nut, _Apios tuberosa._(A)

A bean-like vine, producing many chocolate-brown flowers in August and
September.

Scarlet runner and White Dutch runner beans, _Phaseolus multiflorus._

Perennial in warm countries; annual in the North.

Moonflowers, _Ipomcea,_ various species.

Some are perennials far South, but annual North.

Hardy moonflower, _Ipomoea pandurata._(A)

A weed where it grows wild, but an excellent vine for some purposes.

Wild morning-glory, Rutland beauty, _Convolvulus Sepium_(A) and
California rose, _C. Japonicus._

The former, white and pink, is common in swales. The latter, in double
or semi-double form, is often run wild.

Madeira vine, mignonette vine, _Boussingaultia baselloides._

Root a large, tough, irregular tuber.

Mikania, climbing hempweed, _Mikania scandens._(A)

A good compositous twiner, inhabiting moist lands.

_Woody perennial climbers._

(Climbing shrubs, the tops not dying down in fall except in climates in
which they are not hardy.)

_a. Tendril-climbers, root-climbers, scramblers, and trailers_

Virginia creeper, _Ampelopsis quinquefolia,_(A)

The best vine for covering buildings in the colder climates. Plants
should be selected from vines of known habit, as some individuals cling
much better than others. Var. _hirsuta,_(A) strongly clinging, is
recommended by the experimental station at Ottawa, Canada. Var.
_Engelmanni_(A) has small and neat foliage.

Japanese ivy, Boston ivy, _A. tricuspidata (A. Veitchii_).

Handsomer than the Virginia creeper, and clings closer, but is often
injured by winter in exposed places, especially when young; in northern
regions, tops should be protected for first year or two.

Variegated ivy, _Ampelopsis heterophylla_ var. _elegans_ (_Cissus
variegata_).

Handsome delicate hardy grape-like vines with mostly three-lobed
blotched leaves and bluish berries.

Garden clematis, _Clematis_ of various species and varieties.

Plants of robust and attractive habit, and gorgeous blooms; many garden
forms. _C. Jackmani,_ and its varieties, is one of the best. _C. Henryi_
(Fig. 266) is excellent for white flowers. Clematises bloom in July
and August.

Wild clematis, _C. Virginiana_(A)

Very attractive for arbors and for covering rude objects. The pistillate
plants bear curious woolly balls of fruit.

Wild clematis, _C. verticillaris._(A)

Less vigorous grower than the last, but excellent.

Japanese clematis, _C. paniculata._

The best late-blooming woody vine, producing enormous masses of white
flowers in late summer and early fall.

Trumpet creeper, _Tecoma radicans._(A)

One of the best of all free-flowering shrubs; climbs by means of roots;
flowers very large, orange-scarlet.

Chinese trumpet creeper, _T. grandiflora (Bignonia grandiflora_).
Flowers orange-red; sometimes scarcely climbing.

Bignonia, _Bignonia capreolata._(A)

A good strong evergreen vine, but often a nuisance in fields in the
South.

Frost grape, _Vitis cordifolia._(A)

One of the finest of all vines. It is a very tall grower, producing
thick, heavy, dark leaves. Its foliage often reminds one of that of the
moon-seed. Does not grow readily from cuttings.

Summer and river-bank grapes, _V. bicolor_(A) and _V. vulpina
(riparia)_.(A)

The common wild grapes of the Northern states.

Muscadine, scuppernong, _Vitis rotundifolia._(A)

Much used for arbors in the Southern states (Plate XV).

Ivy, _Hedera Helix._

The European ivy does not endure the bright sun of our winter; on the
north side of a building it often does well; the best of vines for
covering buildings, where it succeeds; hardy in favorable localities as
far north as southern Ontario; many forms.

Greenbrier, _Smilax rotundifolia_(A) and _S. hispida._(A)

Unique for the covering of small arbors and summer-houses.

Euonymus, _E. radicans._

A very close-clinging root-climber, excellent for low walls; evergreen;
the variegated variety is good.

Climbing fig, _Ficus repens._

Used in greenhouses North, but is hardy far South.

Matrimony vine, boxthorn, _Lycium Chinense._

Flowering all summer; flowers rose-pink and buff, axillary, star-like,
succeeded by scarlet berries in the fall; stems prostrate, or
scrambling; an old-fashioned vine on porches.

Bitter-sweet, _Solanum Dulcamara._

A common scrambling or semi-twining vine along roadsides, with brilliant
red poisonous berries; top dies down or nearly so.

Periwinkles, _Vinca minor_ and _V. major._

The former is the familiar trailing evergreen myrtle, with blue flowers
in early spring; in its variegated form the latter is much used for
hanging baskets and vases.

Climbing hydrangea, _Schizophragma hydrangeoides._

Clings to walls by rootlets, producing white flowers in midsummer.

Passion-flower, species of _Passiflora_ and _Tacsonia._

Used in the South and in California.

_b. Woody twiners_

Actinidia, _A. arguta._

Very strong grower, with beautiful thick foliage that is not attacked by
insects or fungi; one of the best vines for arbors.

Akebia, _A. quinata._ Very handsome and odd Japanese vine; a strong
grower, and worthy general planting.

Honeysuckles, woodbine, _Lonicera_ of many kinds.

Japanese honeysuckle, _L. Halliana_ (a form of _L. Japonica_).

10-20 ft.; flowers, white and buff, fragrant mainly in spring and fall;
leaves small, evergreen; stems prostrate and rooting, or twining and
climbing. Trellises, or for covering rocks and bare places; extensively
run wild in the South. Var. _aurea reticidata_ is similar to the type,
but with handsome golden appearance.

Belgian Honeysuckle, L. _Periclymenum_ var. _Belgica._

6-10 ft.; monthly; flowers in clusters, rosy red, buff within; makes a
large, rounded bush.

Coral or trumpet honeysuckle, _L. sempervirens._(A)

6-15 ft.; June; scattering scarlet flowers through the summer; with no
support makes a large rounded bush; for trellises, fences, or a hedge;
it is one of the list of hardy trees and shrubs recommended for Canada
by the Experiment Station at Ottawa.

Honeysuckle, _L. Caprifolium,_ with cup-like connate leaves.

Good native climbing honeysuckles are _L. flava,_(A) _Sullivanti,_(A)
_hirsuta,_(A) _dioica,_(A) and _Douglasi._(A)

Wistaria, _Wistaria Sinensis_ and _W. speciosa._(A)

The Chinese species, _Sinensis,_ is a superb plant; flowers blue-purple;
there is a white-flowered variety.

Japanese wistaria, _W. multijuga._

Flowers smaller and later than the Chinese, in looser racemes.

Dutchman's pipe, _Aristolochia macrophytta (A. Sipho_).(A) A robust
grower, possessing enormous leaves. Useful for covering verandas
and arbors.

Wax-work or false bitter-sweet, _Celastrus scandens._(A) Very ornamental
in fruit; flowers imperfect.

Japanese celastrus, _C. orbiculatus (C. articulatus_ of the trade). _C.
articulatus_ and _C. scandens_ are in the list of 100 trees and shrubs
recommended by the Experiment Station at Ottawa for Canada.

Moonseed, _Menispermum Canadense._(A) A small but very attractive
twiner, useful for thickets and small arbors.

Bokhara climbing polygonum, _Polygonum Baldschuanicum._ Hardy North,
although the young growth may be killed; flowers numerous, minute,
whitish; interesting, but does not make a heavy cover.

Kudzu vine, _Pueraria Thunbergiana (Dolichos Japonicus_). Makes very
long growths from a tuberous root; shrubby South, but dies to the ground
in the North.

Silk vine, _Periploca Graeca._ Purplish flowers in axillary clusters;
long, narrow, shining leaves; rapid growing.

Potato vine, _Solanum jasminoides._ A good evergreen vine South,
particularly the var. _grandiflorum._

Yellow jasmine, _Gelsemium sempervirens._(A) A good native evergreen
vine for the South, with fragrant yellow flowers.

Malayan jasmine, _Trachelospermum_ (or _Rhynchospermum) jasminoides._ A
good evergreen vine for the South and in California.

Climbing asparagus, _Asparagus plumosus._ Popular as an outdoor vine far
South and in California.

Jasmines, _Jasminum_ of several species. The best known in gardens are
_J. nudiflorum,_ yellow in earliest spring, _J. officinale,_ the
jessamine of poetry, with white flowers, and _J. Sambac,_ the Arabian
jasmine (and related species) with white flowers and unbranched leaves;
these are not hardy without much protection north of Washington or
Philadelphia, and _J. Sambac_ only far South.

Bougainvillea, _Bougainvillaea glabra_ and _B. spectabilis._

The magenta-flowered variety, sometimes seen in conservatories in the
North, is a popular outdoor vine in the South and is profusely used in
southern California. The red-flowered form is less seen, but is
preferable in color.

Wire-vine (polygonum of florists), _Muehlenbeckia complexa._

Abundantly used on buildings and chimneys in southern California.

_Climbing roses._

The roses do not climb nor possess any special climbing organs;
therefore they must be provided with a trellis or woven-wire fence. Some
of the roses classed as climbing are such as only need good support,
Fig. 267. For culture of roses, see Chapter VIII.

[Illustration: 267. Climbing rose, Jules Margottin.]

The most popular climbing or pillar rose at present is Crimson Rambler,
but while it makes a great display of flowers, it is not the best
climbing rose. Probably the best of the real climbing roses for this
country, bloom, foliage, and habit all considered, are the derivatives
of the native prairie rose, _Rosa setigera_ (native as far north as
Ontario and Wisconsin). Baltimore Belle and Queen of the Prairie belong
to this class.

[Illustration XV: Scuppernong grape, the arbor vine of the South. This
plate shows the noted scuppernongs on Roanoke Island, of which the
origin is unknown, but which were of great size more than one hundred
years ago.]

The climbing polyantha roses (hybrids of _Rosa multiflora_ and other
species) include the class of "rambler" roses that has now come to be
large, including not only the Crimson Rambler, but forms of other
colors, single and semi-double, and various climbing habits; a very
valuable and hardy class of roses, particularly for trellises.

The Memorial rose _(R. Wichuraiana_) is a trailing, half-evergreen,
white-flowered species, very useful for covering banks and rocks.
Derivatives of this species of many kinds are now available, and
are valuable.

The Ayrshire roses _(R. arvensis_ var. _capreolata_) are profuse but
rather slender growers, hardy North, bearing double white or
pink flowers.

The Cherokee rose _(R. Icevigata_ or _R. Sinica_) is extensively
naturalized in the South, and much prized for its large white bloom and
shining foliage; not hardy in the North.

The Banksia rose _(R. Banksice_) is a strong climbing rose for the South
and California with yellow or white flowers in clusters. A
larger-flowered form _(R. Fortuneana_) is a hybrid of this and the
Cherokee rose.

The climbing tea and noisette roses, forms of _R. Chinensis_ and _R.
Noisettiana,_ are useful in the open in the South.

7. TREES FOR LAWNS AND STREETS

A single tree may give character to an entire home property; and a place
of any size that does not have at least one good tree usually lacks any
dominating landscape note.

Likewise, a street that is devoid of good trees cannot be the best
residential section; and a park that lacks well-grown trees is either
immature or barren.

Although the list of good and hardy lawn and street trees is rather
extensive, the number of kinds generally planted and recognized is
small. Since most home places can have but few trees, and since they
require so many years to mature, it is natural that the home-maker
should hesitate about experimenting, or trying kinds that he does not
himself know. So the home-maker in the North plants maples, elms, and a
white birch, and in the South a magnolia and China-berry. Yet there are
numbers of trees as useful as these, the planting of which might give
our premises and streets a much richer expression.

It is much to be desired that some of the trees with "strong" and rugged
characters be introduced into the larger grounds; such, for example, as
the hickories and oaks. These may often transplant with difficulty, but
the effort to secure them is worth the expenditure. Good trees of oaks,
and others supposed to be difficult to transplant, may now be had of the
leading nurserymen. The pin oak _(Quercus palustris_) is one of the best
street trees and is now largely planted.

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Turkey is restoring the citizenship of its most famous 20th century poet Nazim Hikmet over 50 years after it branded him a traitor.

Hikmet, a communist who died in exile in Moscow in 1963, was imprisoned in Turkey for more than a decade. He was stripped of his Turkish nationality in 1951 because of his communist views, but despite a ban on his poetry which remained in place until 1965, has remained one of Turkey's best-loved poets. His work, much of which was written in prison, including his masterpiece Human Landscapes, has been translated into more than 50 languages.

"This is very good news," said Richard McKane, Hikmet's English translator. "The restoration of his Turkish citizenship is long overdue: the people of Turkey and his readers are owed that."

Immortalised by Pablo Neruda, with whom he shared the Soviet Union's International Peace Prize in 1950, with the lines "Thanks for what you were and for the fire / which your song left forever burning", Hikmet was also supported by Jean-Paul Sartre and Pablo Picasso. Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, when given the editorship for a day of Turkish newspaper Radikal two years ago, used the example of Hikmet in his cover story to criticise the lack of freedom of expression in Turkey. In 2000, 500,000 Turks petitioned the government to restore Hikmet's citizenship rights and repatriate his remains.

Deputy prime minister Cemil Cicek told the Associated Press that it was time for the government to change its mind about Hikmet. "The crimes which forced the government to strip him of his citizenship at that time are no longer considered a crime," the BBC quoted him as saying.

Hikmet, whose remains are currently in Russia, had said that he wished to be buried in Turkey in his 1953 poem Testament, translated by Ruth Christie. "Friends if it's not my lot to see the day / of independence... / if I die before that day / - and it seems I will - / bury me in a village graveyard in Anatolia / and if it's fitting / and a plane tree grows at my head, / then there's no need for a gravestone or anything else."

Cicek said that Hikmet's family would now decide whether to ship his remains back to his homeland.

Hikmet introduced free verse to Turkey in the 1930s, with his themes ranging from war to love. Despite his imprisonment he retained a deep passion for Turkey. "I love my country", he wrote in one of his poems. "I swung in its lofty trees, I lay in its prisons. Nothing relieves my depression like the songs and tobacco of my country."

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