The Lyoudel Letter 
We are sorry that it is necessary to pass along this year’s 
message because we know it will mean disappointment to 
many of our delphinium friends. 
We have decided that we shall not offer delphinium seeds 
for sale during the season, 1948. There are two or three 
important reasons for this decision on our part—reasons which 
we hope will strike a sympathetic chord with you. 
At the beginning of the war, when gasoline rationing 
made it impracticable to have the garden thirty-five miles 
away at Terra Alta, Mr. Leonain rented a plot much closer 
which did not prove to be a good place to grow delphiniums. 
When he first became ill we selected the best for cultivation on 
our own home grounds and put our efforts into the smaller 
project. In the meantime we have set ourselves the task of 
keeping the flower project going until Armen will be free to 
devote his full time to it. Then, our limited experience com- 
lhined with a great deal of hot, dry weather, which killed many 
of our best plants, left us with a limited number of very eood 
specimens. This season we are faced with the alternatives 
of crossing flowers which are not up to the standard that 
Lyondel Gardens has always maintained; or using the fine 
plants we have to build up our stock for next year to the point 
where we can go on with our careful selection from larger 
plantings to produce seeds of which we can be proud, and 
which will keep our customers friends, 
We have chosen to do the latter because, in the long run, 
we fcel we shall be ahead hy heing fair with you. We believe 
that a life’s work is not built on the temporary gain which 
we might get by taking advantage of the fine reputation for 
superior flowers which my husband has built up over a period 
of vears. Personally, I feel that the confidence in his work 
which my son will gain by starting off with stock that is tops, 
will set the pace for him in the years ahead. 
We shail keep working. In the meantime, we shall be in 
itouch with you, and, as soon as we have a salable quantity to 
offer, you shall know. We expect that to be during the 1949 
season. 
Though we shall not be sending seeds to you, we wish you 
luck with your delphiniums. 
Join the American Delphinium 
Si ociely 
One way to help yourself to better results with whatever 
deiphiniums you raise is to join the Delphinium Society. The 
year book, which you get with each $2.00 paid as dues, contains 
articles written by the many authorities in this country, 
Canada, and England. They will cover a range of subjects 
that are sure to answer the questions you have in mind. ne 
Secretary-Treasurer is Mr. Charles A. Prochaska, 2850 Rieh- 
mond Road, R.F.D . #3, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The date for the 
delphinium ‘show is June 25 “and 26; the place is the herberium 
at Case School of Applied Arts, Cleveland. 
About Lyoudel Hybrid Daylilies 
We are offering daylily seeds to our customers. However, 
this year as in the past, we do not sell plants but do have them 
distributed through the Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio in run- 
