Y 
wy, 
AMERICA’S LARGEST GROWER (30 solid acres 
After 1-year’s growth more than a hundred buds 
on each clump. Should be more every year if left 
undisturbed. 
NOTE THE WIDE FULL PETALS AND GRACEFUL FORMS ON THESE MAGNIFICENT NEW JEWELS 
The Russell Gardens has, for many years, as most of you know, issued 
the largest all color catalogue of Daylilies in America and we expect to 
-continue to do so, so one now being in the making, that will be delivered 
“to you in the spring of 1954. This circular offers more new introductions 
than we have ever offered in a catalogue before, plus the BEST of the 
Russell Gardens proven standbys. When I say BEST we mean just that, 
for it was you, the accredited judges, throughout America, that have voted 
us:tops. We now stand at the top of the poll, having won the highest award 
_teiven for a Daylily origination. The January, 1953 issue (page 46) of The 
etter Homes and Gardens have a full page color display of the Daylilies 
showing’ the Russell Variety, Painted Lady. This variety has made the hit 
parade for the past three years and was originated by us in 1942. Oh, yes, 
we have been doing a lot in plant breeding since then and I do consider 
it an honor to know that among the thousands and thousands of plant 
breeders today you will find among the 100 top leading Daylilies, 
about 1/6 of this entire lot are our originations. The rest of the 5/6 
was divided among the rest of America. I have been criticized, and at 
‘ sgitnes I think, unmercifully, for pricing my daylilies so low but this came 
only from some of my competitors and I want to state here and now that 
that is one criticism I will carry gracefully the rest of my life, if need be, 
because it was one of my aims at the beginning, almost thirty years ago, 
to give America better daylilies at a price everyone could afford. Have you 
ever heard of the average gardener being able to pay fiften and more 
dollars apiece for daylilies? Frankly, I don’t think so. (I used to do this 
till I learned better.) [ve visited most of the growers and I have been 
amazed to learn that these so called famous growers were introducing 
their varieties when they didn’t have but 10 or 15 plants each of some 
varieties, to begin with. I learned almost ten years ago that if a plant 
was that good, why not hold it a few more seasons and work up a huge 
stock of this variety (it takes time to test these plants for garden hardiness) 
so that we may price them within a range that we might all have them. 
Ours have got to be proven hardy, you know, from Maine to California. 
We never send out a plant until it has been tested. No, it is no hobby with 
us—no back yard affair. We are growing 30 solid acres and just for YOU, 
our retail customers who have made our business what it is today. Even 
as large as we are, growing over a million and a half daylilies of such 
quality varieties as we grow, we have never found it necessary to resort 
to the wholesale trade. I want to say THANKS and thanks again, for 
your wonderful patronage and we hope and sincerely believe that we 
will be able to serve you better this year than ever before. 
Sincerely, H. M. RUSSELL, Spring, Texas 
