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

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

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

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

ANTI HERO (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
An absolutely stunning flower with very wide overlapping hafts and exuberant ruffles. The color of the standards is a very complex blending of orange, light orange, pink, and lavender tones. Falls are creamy white with peach touched hafts and a wide lilac to lavender band. Anti Hero is also blessed with nicely branched and budded stems, making her a winner on the show bench as well. Sdlg. TO187B: Just Between Us X unknown seedling number, illegible tag

LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB early-midseason 35” (89cm)
Lightly scented. LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23) TB early-midseason 35” (89cm) Lightly scented. This gorgeous iris is named to honor the late great Olivia Newton-John. Olivia was not only a very talented celebrity but she was a gorgeous human being. Although I never met her, I certainly followed her career and life. Always a kind, warm and loving person, she never acted the celebrity, taking time to acknowledge all who came upon her. She courageously fought breast cancer in an out of remission for 20 years. Never one to complain she always looked on the positive side of things. The latter part of her life was dedicated to finding a cure for Cancer. She founded the Oliva Newton-John Cancer And Wellness Centre In Melbourne, Australia, the country she called home. Here she tirelessly raised money to support cancer research using plant-based treatments. Lovely Livvy was the pet name the media used throughout Olivia’s life to describe her. The iris we have chosen to honor her kind of named itself. Firstly, it is pink, the color of breast cancer awareness. On top of that, I made the cross in the garden of Barry and Lesley Blyth (using two of Barry’s seedlings), who live only miles from where Olivia grew up. Lovely Livvy is an extraordinary and unique creation in a color combination that has not yet been seen in iris until now. White standards are flushed pink. Falls are a deeper rose pink with a gorgeous ruffled white band. Olivia with her kind and generous heart inspired me to do my part, so I donated a portion of the proceeds of each plant sold in its introductory year (2023) to her Cancer research centre in Australia. Sdlg. TJ335B: X267-12 (U232-1: (S290-3: Raise the Curtain x Another Woman) x (S69-1: (02-185c: Restless Heart x Queen’s Circle) x (02-191B: Tour De France x Rippling River))) x Bashful Love. X Walk Right Back pod parent.

PURPLE PLEASURE (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
An abundance of ruffles and frills on a classically formed flower ramp up its visual pleasure. The clean mid violet color of the standards is repeated in a wide band around the velvety dark purple falls, which also have dark plum hafts. Light grayed tan to pale blue beards are an interesting touch. Lovely show stalks have 3 branches and 9-10 buds. Note the blue and pink parentage. Sdlg. DD22C: Adrift At Sea X Black BB86E: (Bubbly Beauty x For Lovers Only)

LIFE GOES ON (Paul Black 26)
BB Early-midseason 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The simply formed mid violet flowers are nothing you’ll get excited about. The appeal is the green and white variegated foliage with some purple at the base. There is some reblooming blood in the parentage, so it can be useful in breeding reblooming variegated foliage types. Sdlg. CC11A: Variegated Wonder X Sub-Zero

MOONLIT NIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
BB Early-midseason-late 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Beautiful, floriferous and a strong grower are the words that immediately come to mind when I think of Moonlit Night. Good stems and bud count make it a true winner. Sdlg. TO148B: Cosmic sibling

FORTUNE AND GLORY (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
This stable of smaller flowered parents helped create a near perfect border bearded of mouthwatering mid golden apricot blooms with hazy plum-brown veins descending from vivid orange beards. Moderate ruffling is perfect for its size. Superb parent for BBs, IBs and TBs. Two branches and spur carry 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE60A: Black BB109A: (Black Y59C: (Hot Off The Press x All Too Exciting) x Hot Off The Press) X Black CC4A: (Hot Off The Press x Z145I: (Black V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x Black V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral)))

CAPTURE MY HEART (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 25” (63.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Nice ruffles, a little lace, and yummy citrus colors – be still my heart! Mid peach-apricot standards blend to a mid apricot border. Mid peach-apricot blended falls darken toward its margin. Vibrant tangerine beards pulse from the heart. Vigorous growth produces show stalks having 3 branches and 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE66A: BB116G, Garden Appeal sibling X Black CC131A: (Black Z240A: (Tickle My Fancy x Black X99 purple sibling: (Black T96B: (Wicked Good x Laughing Clown) x Penguin Party)) x Black Z240B: (Tickle My Fancy x Black X99 purple sibling: (Black T96B: (Wicked Good x Laughing Clown) x Penguin Party)))

RARE GEM (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Mauve pink standards rise above mauve and lavender pink blended falls with lighter centers. There is texture veining that juts out from around the deep lavender purple beard. Gorgeous ruffled and wide form showcases the pattern. Nice stems and buds as well. Quite a striking iris.
Sdlg. TJ149ZZ: TF6E: (Secret Affair x Haunted Heart) X TD70C, Poem Of Love sib: (Fine Romance x Rite Of Passage)

HAPPILY EVER AFTER (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Late-very late 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Ooh la la! Look at that form!!! Truly, a stunning iris. Such a gorgeous shade of strawberry pink, with a lighter area below the awesome pink beard. Impeccable form in a beautiful color. Great stems and buds round it out. Probably one of the most, if not the most, gorgeous individual iris flowers I have seen. Its only flaw is that it is a very late flowering variety that does not like opening in extreme heat. A favorite from its maiden bloom, and one I can hardly wait to see flower each year.
Sdlg. TL29ZZ: Arrivederci X Top Choice

MEGASTAR (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm) No fragrance.
This was my favorite seedling out of all of the BB year seedlings. I returned repeatedly to have another look. There is such an overwhelming amount of color and patterning that one viewing isn’t enough to take it in. It is another Crocodile Smile child, which shows its importance as a parent. Warm white standards have a wide light violet plicata outer band and a wide light khaki tan sanded and lined plicata band. Style arms are contrasting dark gold. White falls have wide dark violet to dark plum lined and sanded plicata bands. Rich brown beards are the perfect accent. Three branches produce 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. BB105P: Crocodile Smile X Z62C: (All Too Exciting x U53X, Rise Like A Phoenix sib)

GRACED WITH LACE (P. Black '25)
TB Late-very late 33” (84cm) No fragrance.
What a great end to the season this laced wonder is. Standards of mid orchid blend to rosy pink and are topped and edged with crinkled lace. Expansive falls blend from grayed white centers to rosy pink, and are also edged in lace. Colorful yet elegant. Show stalks, just in case you ever have a really late show.
Sdlg. BB7N: Catch My Breath X Soul Mate

TOPOGRAPHY (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light salmon pink standards are echoed in the band around the rich rosy pink falls. The falls are extremely wide and overlapping. What really sets Topography apart from the others is its intensely ruffled and lightly laced flowers. Nice show stems are the norm.
Sdlg. TL163YY: TH55A: (Full Of Grace x Pick-Up Line) X Ballroom Belle

SHE WILL BE LOVED (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Another favorite that I have been patiently waiting to get enough stock to share. She Will Be Loved is a beautiful shade of pink with a small light area below the lavender blue tipped beard. Impeccable wide and ruffled form with show stems creates a complete package.
Sdlg. TL73A: Slice Of Heaven X Soul Mate

LOVE YOU MORE (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
In the continuing quest for that perfectly clean pink amoena comes Love You More. White standards are flushed pink in the centers. Falls are a gorgeous shade of pink, with deeper texture veins. It is a really lovely color combination that is stunning in the fields. Classically formed flowers are held on nicely branched and budded stems. Really gorgeous.
Sdlg. TM243ZZ: Regal Impact X Love Comes

FOR REAL (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Standards are blue white with darker centers infused pink. Falls are a rich rosy pink with a very light lavender band. A really beautiful color combination, and one that has been popular with visitors. Nice buds, stems, and growth certainly add to the attraction.
Sdlg. TM116YY: Lovely Livvy X Pharaoh’s Poet

CLEAR AND CRISP (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Deep golden yellow standards have a fine reddish veined edge. Falls are a stark clean and crisp white with a precise deep rust-red dotted plicata band. Its absolutely stunning clean and clear pattern is very noticeable from across the garden. The nicely ruffled flowers held high on well budded and branched stems add to the beauty.
Sdlg. TM25A: What A View X Raspberry Pie