HIGH ON LIFE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Not only does High On Life have gorgeous flowers, but its hallmark is the super strong show branched stalks. Dark lilac standards blend to light silvery lilac margins with neat mauve pink styles peering out. White ground falls are washed light pink overlaid with mid pink texture veins. Coral beards jazz things up. Three to four branches plus spur have 9-11 buds.
Sdlg. BB143N: Gay Romance X Z52D: (V110B: (Fred And Ginger x Go For Broke) x V159I, Pleasure's All Mine sib)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The name was inspired by our young iris enthusiast friend Dylan Just. If you have ever seen his lively inspiring iris videos, you will certainly recognize the phrase “are you kidding me” as his signature punchline. It is a very fitting name, and very descriptive of the way I myself felt the year it first bloomed. It comes from the line of unique iris that have been coined the ‘pansy face’ pattern. I love everything about this iris, from its lavender standards with maroon base, to its wide and ruffled falls with deep maroon central overlay. The beards are blended a mysterious old gold to purple. Strong growth and gorgeous show stems just solidify the deal. Sdlg. TN180A: Feel The Beat X Autumn Tease sibling

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards have centers that are a deep purple graduating deeper towards the heart of the flower. A wide buff yellow band with subtle deeper gold veins rim the standards. White falls have wide, overlapping form, with a deep golden yellow band. A stunning reverse bicolor with large, wide, and ruffled flowers. Sdlg. TN27C: Mood Ring X Easy On The Eyes

ABSOLUTELY ADORED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Early-midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
Our obsession with blue bearded pinks continues. Every generation gets the flower color a richer pink, and the beards bigger and a more saturated blue. Nice round and ruffled form with good stems and three buds ensure a good display. Sdlg. TP277A: unknown cross, tag lost

AT FIRST LIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
Sky blue standards have a deep reddish violet central wash. Falls are creamy white with slightly gold-touched hafts and a wide gold band. Well formed, ruffled, budded, and branched, At First Light comes from a very good cross that produced many introduction-worthy children. Sdlg. TN27EE: Artificial Intelligence sibling

BAKER’S SECRET (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards have an interesting blend of yellow and violet that creates a very rich brownish confection. The color reminds me of a dark cinnamon bun dripping with sweet frosting. Falls are white with the faintest of lavender overlaid, then edged with a deep golden yellow haft and band. Baker’s Secret is absolutely amazing in a clump!! Sdlg. TN27QQ: Artificial Intelligence sibling

BALLROOM GOWN (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
It is difficult to find the words to describe this one; the picture kind of says it all. Incredible form and with heavy substance, this stately luminata is characterized with a very wide rim on the standards. Intensely ruffled falls have a huge showy central luminata patch. At 39 inches, it is very tall for this pattern, which has tended to be on the shorter side. Show stems that can carry up to three branches, and spurs even on the branches, provide lots of buds for an extended bloom season. We have used this one heavily in our hybridizing program, putting it right at the top of our favorites list. Sdlg. TN21XX: Affair to Remember X Gone Viral

CAN JUST IMAGINE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Lavender blue standards; falls are lavender blue with a deeper violet blue brindled wash. Beards are burnt orange with lavender tips. Can Just Imagine is very tall and stately, with beautiful show stems. It is a ‘fancy’, which in hybridizing talk means it is about one generation away from being a luminata. A unique and striking feature is its beautiful lavender spathes and stems. It is very hard to photograph but is very noticeable in the garden. We have used this one quite a lot in hybridizing. A very pretty quality iris, and the product of two great parents. Sdlg. TN90ZZ: Beautician X Gone Viral

CLOSING CEREMONY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason late-very late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
The name kind of tells you the story. It starts flowering with the midseason varieties, and continues through until the very end of the iris bloom season. Very rich pink standards repeat themselves in a soft band on white falls. Big showy powder blue beards certainly add a touch of class. Very nice form with good bud count and stems. A true delight to look at, it is a favorite for sure! Sdlg. TO160A: Somebody To Love X TK109ZZ: (TG52CC: (Uptown Lady x Don’t Stop Believing) x Slice Of Heaven)

COMPLETE OPPOSITE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
What can we say about this one? Contrast certainly comes to mind! Deep blue purple standards sit atop cinnamon brown falls. Tall stems with lightly ruffled flowers have carrying power out the kazoo! Holy cow, does this one make a statement. It is the iris that garden visitors most often tell me about; it seems to imprint! Certainly unique, and won’t be mistaken for anything else! Stems and branching are good. The flowers are not as wide and ruffled as I usually like, but are certainly adequate. Sdlg. TN13A: Mood Ring X unknown seedling

COSMIC (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 33” (84cm) Sweet fragrance.
Some iris have such a complex coloration that it is hard to describe. To make matters more difficult, the shade of purple in Cosmic can be different from day to day, and from year to year. We struggled to figure out which picture to use for the catalogue, and have included several shots on the website for you to see for yourself. No matter what the shade, Cosmic is a blooming fool, absolutely covering itself in bloom, and is intensely bright, with its very wide gold band in the standards, and yellow flash overlaying the white luminata patch on the falls. Sdlg. TO148A: Gone Viral X unknown

COSMETOLOGIST (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Sweet fragrance.
This is a plicata pattern that has a lot going on. Standards have a very light lavender ground, with lavender dotting showing in the center, and then becoming a medium lemon band. Falls are a light lavender white ground, with a deep burgundy haft bar, and a faint lilac lavender dotted edge. Even the beard is complex, with a white base and hair tips that change from burgundy to orange as it moves towards the heart of the flower. Cosmetologist comes from a line of plicatas that are not from traditional plicata breeding; they descend from recessive plicatas that appeared in bicolor breeding lines. Very nice form, bud count, and stems. Sdlg. TO237D: For The Ages X Open Flame plicata sibling

DANCE FESTIVAL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Lines, lines, and more lines! I have been working with this pattern for a number of years and have gotten some very interesting things. If I were to choose just one word to describe this, it would be floriferous! It completely covers itself in tall, well branched and budded stems, and blooms for a long time. It is not the first to start blooming, but about midway through the early season it starts, and goes and goes. The picture kind of speaks for itself. Check out the additional pictures of it, including clump shots. Sdlg. TN171ZZ Open Heart X Leave Me Breathless

DONE DEAL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Done Deal is one of those iris that has it all: great form, branching, bud count, and vigor. Standards are a pearl white with pink and light salmon blended centers. Falls are a rich lavender with a deep red violet signal around the beard, which becomes a deeper lavender wash throughout the mid-section. We used this one quite a lot in hybridizing for all of its exemplary qualities. Sdlg. TN180ZZ: Are You Kidding Me sibling

DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Medium red purple standards sit atop deeper black cherry red falls with brilliant tangerine to red beards. Flowers are large and very ruffled. Stems are tall, with good bud count and show branching. Dressed For The Occasion is very elegant in the fields; it commands attention. Sdlg. TN162B: Own The Night X Heat Of The Moment

EXACTLY RIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Blue purple standards have large rich red plum centers. Falls are a deep blue purple with a red violet brindled wash. Exactly Right has excellent form, with strong substance and very wide and heavily ruffled petals. Really a very gorgeous iris. Sdlg. TN213A: Opulent Affair X Only Imagine sibling

EYE LOVE YOU (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight musky fragrance.
I have been working on the ‘pansy face’ pattern, or you could say ‘signal’ pattern, in TBs for quite a few years. Trying to get different colors in the pattern has been fun. Eye Love You has a lot going on in the color department. Standards are flesh to peach, with large pink centers and a lavender infusion up the midrib. Falls are light lavender with a deep maroon signal, and upon closer inspection, there is a very faint lighter peach band. The orange beard sitting on top of the maroon signal just makes the whole thing pop. It certainly makes for a brilliant display in the fields, and won’t be mistaken for any other iris. Sdlg. TN31ZZ: Truth Or Dare X Autumn Tease

CHITTER CHATTER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Early-midseason 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
Golden yellow standards are flushed violet at the midrib. Falls are a rich cerise cherry red with a blue violet dart below the large violet beard. Showy!! Sdlg. TO16A: Pet Project X Yoda

FRAME OF MIND (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Standards are light icy lavender white, with a pink and light lavender infused center. Falls are eggshell to white, with a wide peach pink band and haft. Very nicely formed and ruffled flowers are carried on good show stems. A very pleasing and elegant iris. Sdlg. TN91ZZ: Paradise Sunset X TJ164A, Precious Thing sibling

FUTURE DREAMS (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
For many years I have worked with plicatas that are the result of outcrosses to bicolors, to increase vigor and bring more diversity in color and pattern. Future Dreams is so named because of the wide-ranging breeding potential in this pattern. Standards are deep lavender purple with darker maroon veining. Falls are white with a deep maroon haft and band. If that weren’t enough, upon closer inspection, you will notice broken color within the band. A totally unique and distinctive color and pattern variation in plicatas. Flowers are well-formed, and carried on strong show stems with lots of buds. Future Dreams has a good pedigree, and once again shows the importance of ‘Tenacity’ as a parent, both for quality and diversity. Sdlg. TO236M: Running In Circles sibling X Tenacity