I Grow the Best — Discard the Rest 
Greetings . . . To My Friends: 
It is with pleasure that I present you with this, my Dahlia Catalcgue for 1955. Your 
generous and kind support is thoroughly appreciated and inspires me to continued effort to make 
available to you only the best. 
This catalog would not be complete if I were not to take advantage of the opportunity 
to thank you for your many letters telling of various successes obtained from stock purchased 
from me. | am grateful to those who have been able to visit my gardens as well as those who 
have inspected my exhibits at the American Dahlia Society Shows, and many other shows we 
attend, because I feel my dahlias speak best for themselves. 
To those who are familiar with my stock, no introduction is necessary and you have my 
pledge that the same quality will not only continue but improve if such is possible. To those 
who have not tried my service this is an invitation, an invitation that may prove a real 
opportunity for you to realize something ‘you may not have been able to obtain elsewhere and 
no order is too small nor is any contract too large, I am pleased to serve you. 
ALBERT PARRELLA. 
IMPORTANT NOTICE — DO NOT: OVERLOOK 
Due to the limited space we are compelled to be brief with our descriptions. However, we 
want our patrons to know that the varieties listed in this Catalog are either Honor Roll 
Certificate Winners or has proven with us to be truly outstanding. Not only that, but the 
varieties offered are reliable in every respect, good growers, fine producers, insect resisting 
foliage and most of them are of large size blooms, and true prize winners. If you are interested 
in large size dahlias, you surely are not going wrong by ordering from us. This may be of 
interest to you to know that we do not force our dahlias for size, but we are gratified to know 
that our customers secure the lion’s share of prizes at the Show. 
VISITORS ARE WELCOME 
You are cordially invited to bring along as many friends as ‘you possibly can to my gardens 
at any time after August 15th and see this magnificent sight. You are under no obligatiom to 
buy, but welcomed and I will be as happy to see you as you will be to see this magnificent 
collection of gorgeous massive flowers in all of the colors, shades, and tints of the rainbow. 
I will have over 300 varieties, most of them Honor Roll dahlias, as well as many promising 
seedlings, and many new ones sent by other growers for trial and that have not been released 
for sales as yet, as well as many novelties. 
We want to thank those who have sent to us Seedlings for trial this past season. Assure you 
we have given them the best of attention. We would appreciate receiving more of them for the 
coming season providing they are good. We will do all we can to put them over. 
A WORD ABOUT OUR DAHLIA PLANTS 
We only offer plants of the most expensive varieties. You can secure plants at a much 
reasonable price. Our plants are made from base cuttings, and aren’t over-propagated. We 
send out fine sturdy plants, well packed and GUARANTEED to reach you in perfect condition. 
If you take proper care of them you will not be disappointed. Our customers who have purchased 
plants from us in the past years have been very well satisfied. Not only have our plants 
produced wonderful blooms for them, but also have secured good clumps. Plants will be shipped 
from May lst on. If an early shipment is required, kindly advise. 
DIRECTIONS OF REACHING PARRELLA DAHLIA GARDENS 
Customers can easily reach our place by taking the East Side Subway (Lexington Avenue): 
the train that is marked ‘241st Street & White Plains Road.” Get off at East 180th Street and 
change for the SHUTTLE which passes our gardens. Get off at BAYCHESTER AVENUE. The 
distance between 180th Street and Baychester is only five stations. Our Gardens are only two 
blocks from Baychester Avenue. Inquire at Station, anyone will direct you to our Gardens. The 
fare is only 15 Cents. 
BY AUTO: Follow the Boston Post Road to either ELY AVENUE or GRACE AVENUE 
Grace Avenue is more convenient for your parking space, turn EAST here five hundred feet 
and you are at the center of our Gardens. 
Member of American Dahlia Society and The New York Florists Club 
JOIN DAHLIA SOCIETY 
THE AMERICAN FEE $4.00 
For ENTRY BLANKS write to Henry A. Olsen, 45 Clement Avenue, 
Elmont, New York, or to us. 
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