POMPOUS PARROT (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This sassy character commands attention with its bold, high-contrast coloring and lavishly ruffled form. Soft, luminous, salmon pink standards, delicately stitched darker, rise above richly saturated near-black purple falls, creating a striking bicolor effect. The falls are accentuated by a radiant white butterfly shoulder, drawing the eye to a glowing orange beard that adds warmth and intensity. Its pod parent provided the genes for its amazing show stalks, which have 5 branches and 16-17 buds. A superb parent. Sdlg. DD51D: Girls Wanna Have Fun X BB149C, Princess Pretty Pink sibling

IGUAZU FALLS (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Slight fragrance.
Named for the truly breathtaking waterfalls that sit on the border of Argentina with Brazil and Paraguay. Medium royal purple standards are wrapped in a wide near white band. Falls are medium royal purple, with a very large light pink to white luminata patch and wide lavender band. Beards are near white, as are the style crests that add to the ‘light’ in the center of the flower. Beautiful form on this nicely ruffled and budded ‘lumi’. Sdlg. TN21ZZ: Ballroom Gown sibling

SULTRY BEAUTY (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 31” (78.5cm) Pronounced spicy fragrance.
This beauty sweeps onto the dance floor in an elegant velvet gown. The satin sheen of her tightly fitted mid boysenberry top courses downward to her velvety dark burgundy skirt, underlaid with near black veins. Iridescent boysenberry-edged ruffles complete the ensemble. Mid orange beards add a bit of flash. Strong growth produces show stalks with 4 branches and 8-9 buds. It is valuable as a broken color parent. Sdlg. CC57A: Black Y115A, Breaking Free sibling X Goat Rodeo

RUNNING LATE (Paul Black 26)
SDB Late-very late 15” (38cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
I keep working on pushing SDB bloom further and further into TB season. Running Late hits that mark by blooming with midseason TBs. Tightly formed flowers have pale pinkish white standards, contrasting with strongly flared dark purple falls, blending paler to edges. Hazy white darts surround unique burnt orange to violet beards. Rampant growth creates clumps filled with bloom. Sdlg. DD140I: Y191A, Perfectly Composed sibling X Black Y278B: (Black V316F, Circus Act sibling x Don't Fix It)

SORCERER’S SPELL (Paul Black 26)
IB Early-midseason 22” (56cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Beware of the dark side lurking here. Mid red-purple standards blend lighter toward their edge. Open standards reveal showy rose and gold styles. Velvety dark purple falls shade to near black margins. The light tangerine over white beard rests in a white luminata plicata patch. There are sometimes random white streaks and splashes. Use it to create IB and BB broken color flowers. Three branches carry 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE86A: Nickel’s Worth X Lumistreak

SUN (Paul Black 26)
MTB Early-midseason 25” (63.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The name says it all – Sun has little orbs of sunny yellow, with a blush of pink up the standards. Mid marigold beards add a bit of zing. Show stalks have 3 branches and 9-11 buds. You don’t need to be close to see its impact. Sdlg. EE95A: AA161A, Yowza sibling X Black CC165A: (Fairy King x Y203I, Deep In The Heart sibling)

ON THE PROWL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
White ground petals have a lavender lilac plicata dotted band and a belly stripe. Hafts are touched with deep red wine rays. Large, fuzzy beards are yellow-orange. This little iris really stands out in a crowd. Sdlg. TN281A: Penny For Your Thoughts sibling X Talking Back

SHEILA JOHNSON (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 14” (35.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
I have wanted to name an iris for my mom for a number of years, but her favorite color is green, and it is hard to get a good green iris. I am very excited about this one. Not only is it very green-looking, but it also has a huge saturated blue beard! Absolutely stunning in a clump, it is a good grower with lots of buds. Sdlg. TP294A: Riddler X Cheers To You sibling

LOOKING LIKE THAT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
This pattern is so clear and matter of fact that I thought it deserved a name that is a strong statement. Looking Like That is bold and beautiful, and creates quite a stir. Standards are complex, with deep lemon centers becoming the lightest lavender, then showing lemon veining at the edge. Falls are rich deep lavender, with a massive deep burgundy signal and yellow orange beards. Fantastic stems that are well branched and held high above the foliage set the stage for quite a show. Sdlg. TN180E: Are You Kidding Me sibling

PUZZLE PIECE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Iris have become such complex beings when it comes to patterns and application of color. The standards are pretty straight forward, being a brilliant golden yellow, but the falls are a bit more complex. There is a large and plush mahogany red signal spot in the center, but things get complicated in the band. There is a large wide band that circles the signal, but instead of it being one consistent color, it starts out as a light lavender and lemon blend at the haft, about half way down transitions to lemon, and finally shows deep gold at the distal end. The standard color reflecting itself at the distal end of the fall draws the eye across the whole flower and creates a very pleasing presentation. Tall, well branched and budded stems help it to compete on the show bench as well. Shockingly bright and beautiful. Sdlg. TN50ZZ: Autumn Tease sibling X Truth Or Dare

STAR PLAYER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Light lavender standards have a gold pencil edge. White falls have a deep violet purple to near black band, with a wide center stripe below the bright yellow-orange beard. Tall, wide, and ruffled flowers are striking and showy. Sdlg. TM152WW: Mark My Words sibling

THAT’S A GOOD ONE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Crystalline white standards have a shiny gold edge matching the visible golden style crests peeking out from inside. Very white falls have a deep indigo blue to near black stitched and dotted band and belly stripe below a shocking orange beard. A very gorgeous and dramatic iris in the field, That’s A Good One is definitely an attention grabber. Sdlg. TO225A: Piece By Piece X Say It Right

WATCHFUL EYE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light lavender white standards have dark lemon centers and a light lemon touched edge. Falls are a light lavender white with a deep rust haft and a deep violet black flash below the beard. Quite a stunner of an iris, and one that has been much loved in the garden. Tall, well branched and budded stems make it a contender for best in show on the show bench. Sdlg. TN180F: Are You Kidding Me and Looking Like That sibling