DOUBLE DEALING (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 30” (76cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Breeding for broken color irises is difficult, and even more so for variegated foliage. The presence of both in the same iris is still a rare achievement. Double Dealing meets the challenge. Variegated foliage has segments that are blue-green, grass green and white. Broken color flowers have standards of light tan-yellow with mid rosy mauve broken color segments. Falls are mid tan-gold with mid maroon sanding and dark maroon broken color segments, streaks, and splashes. Stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 8 buds.
Sdlg. BB117A: Y87A: (V24C, Cockeyed Optimist sib x W144C: (T46C: (Claim To Fame x Advantage) x T52CR: (N134AAR: (Island Coral x K113A: (Throb x I4B: (Blazing Sunrise x C17D, Vibrant sib))) x Advantage))) X Y115B, Breaking Free sib

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)

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

DEEP APPRECIATION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Deep black cherry to black standards show a slight bit of yellow ground in the center. Falls have a white ground with a lemon-yellow wash that is dotted deep black cherry, with a dark bar around the beard and line below the beard. The fall then has a wide black cherry band. It differs from its sister ‘Love In The Dark’ in that Deep Appreciation is near black, whereas the former is a very deep oxblood red. Very stunning! Sdlg. TM149QQ: Love In The Dark 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

CLASSIC JEWEL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Early-midseason-late 13” (33cm) Slight fragrance.
The faintest of pink petals are a touch darker in the standards and the hafts. Beards are large and powder blue. From a distance, it looks white with a powder blue beard. Stunning! Sdlg. TO103B: My Sweetness X Five And Dime

GONE BALLISTIC (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 39” (99cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Golden yellow standards are darker in the center. Wide and ruffled falls are medium lavender with a deep plush burgundy center that breaks up as it moves towards the pencil thin burgundy edge. A very colorful and bright pattern. Well-branched stems are tall, carrying wide and ruffled flowers. Vigorous growth and lots of buds ensures a strong and long bloom season. Sdlg. TO237A: For The Ages X Open Flame sibling

AMERICAN ADVENTURE (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 33” (84cm) No fragrance.
Rich, dramatic, and luxuriously ruffled, American Adventure makes a bold statement in the spring garden. The deep inky purple plicata markings over the muted white center of the standards contrast with the chalky white falls, which have a light purple fancy plicata wash that deepens to near black edges. Blooms are heavily textured and graced with artful rippling. Vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches plus spur and branch spur, giving a superb 10-11 buds. Dark stalks and mid purple spathes add an artistic touch. Sdlg. DD20A: Y14E, Bespoke sibling X Awash In Purple

DIAMONDS ON VELVET (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) No fragrance.
A tall show-stopping iris with persuasive garden presence. Broad, ruffled, mid navy-blue standards rise above dramatic, expansive, darkest navy falls, etched with fine veining centered around a brooding golden sienna beard that adds striking contrast. Strong upright stems carry the blooms well above purple-based blue-green foliage. Sdlg. DD60B: How Bizarre! X Dot Dash Dot

INNER DESIRE (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81.5cm) No fragrance.
This intensely saturated jewel will captivate your heart. The interior of dark red-grape standards is white with wide plicata banding of mid red-grape. The falls have a mid blue-purple area surrounding mid tangerine beards, that first transitions to a wide, warm white, heavily plicata-marked band, before ending in a wide, rich wine-magenta band. Its unique color will draw you in for a closer look. Well-branched stalks have 4 branches and 7-8 buds. Unusual buds (fall reverse) are greenish cream heavily dotted mid grape. Another wonderful and unique iris coming from ‘Crocodile Smile’. Sdlg. BB107G: Black Y55B, Crocodile Smile sibling X Crocodile Smile

MAGICAL FANTASY (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 34” (86.5cm) No fragrance.
Mid pink standards are washed light mauve. Delicately ruffled palest pink tinted falls have narrow mid violet-blue plicata banding. Its dark orange beard ends in a near black dart. Moderately sized flowers displayed on graceful taller stems make a visually pleasing clump. Vigorous growth produces show stalks with 4 branches and 7-8 buds. Sdlg. EE84A: Black BB164B: (Daffy Duck x Me And My Shadow) X Black BB150C: (Black Y152B: (Dearest x Black 30A: (Fantasy In Pink x Black T123B: (Dog Days x R22D: (Lecture x Black O159B: (Out Of The Dark x Sea Power))))) x Z99D:(Steal Your Heart x unknown))

PICTURE PERFECT MOMENT (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 32” (81.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Its lavish ruffles and lace, that harken to a baroque time of sumptuous excess, will make it a focal point in any garden. Tightly formed blooms have rich deep lilac standards. Lilac falls transition from darker shades at their edges to lighter, almost lavender-tinted, centers. Vibrant orange beards hit a high note. Hefty rhizomes produce strong stalks with 2 branches and 7-8 buds. Heavy substance ensures its striking presence, no matter the weather. Sdlg. DD13A: So Much More X Black AA270B: (Soul Mate x Super Model)

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

PRESBY ROYAL JUBILEE (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Sweet fragrance.
This classically formed, exuberantly ruffled, rich, dark navy blue bitone is a fitting iris to be named for the Centennial Celebration, in 2027, of the famed Presby Memorial Iris Garden. Over its many years, the Garden has served as a repository for historical irises, from their earliest history in the U.S., to the most current, on display for the 2026 American Iris Society National Convention. The velvety, dark navy falls of Presby Royal Jubilee are set ablaze with large orange beards, which end in an intriguing dark navy. An abundant 3 branches and spur carry 9-10 buds. Sdlg. BB72O: My Passion X Y93B, More Than Ruffles sibling

RIDING THE SURF (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) No fragrance.
Clear skies above and pounding surf below, it’s time to break out the surfboard. Pristine white standards tower above white falls irregularly washed and blended mid to dark blue. Pale blue blended bands add some foam. Strong, elegantly tall stalks have 4 branches and a branch spur, giving 11-12 buds. Coming from a stable of robust parents gives it staying power in your garden. Sdlg. CC76B: Black Z40B: (Black V67A: (Black R72A: (Fancy Dog x Black M80CC: (Black J140B, First Page sibling x Man About Town)) x Blueberry Parfait) x V191A: (Black R174B: (Frontline x Bluebird Of Happiness) x Dancing Star)) X Black X1A: (Adriatic Waves x All Ashore)

SCATTERSHOT DOTS (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Here’s another in the limited realm of the strange broken color plicatas. Each flower is patterned differently. Typically marked standards have a light buttercream ground with a dark charcoal-purple wide rib, heavily plicata-sanded center, and wide band. White falls have light yellow variably-sized hafts, irregular broken color segments of wine to purple dotting and sanding, and a narrow dark wine plicata band. Sdlg. EE25A: Black AA84W, Make Up Your Mind X Wild About You

STRANGE BEAST (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Such a mix-up of color and pattern! No two flowers of this broken color sort are the same. Superbly formed flowers have light gold and light mauve broken color segments. More dramatically formed falls are a broken color medley of mid to dark gold and mid to dark burgundy, with a white dart at the end of light marigold beards. Don’t be surprised if you encounter an occasional variegated foliage plant. It intermittently decides to give one. It definitely does not have stable variegated foliage. Strong stalks normally have 2 branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. EE69F: Black Y87A: (Black V24C, Cockeyed Optimist sibling x Black W144C: (Black T46C: (Claim To Fame x Advantage) x Black T52CR: (Black N134AAR: (Island Coral x Black K113A: (Throb x Black I4A: (Blazing Sunrise x Black C17D, Vibrant sibling))) x Advantage))) X Hodgepodge

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

AT LAST MY LOVE (Paul Black 26)
SDB Late-very late 14.5” (37cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
For those wanting a SDB to enter in a typical TB show, here is another one of my multiple branched and budded, late blooming SDBs that fits the bill. Light rose infuses up the midribs of the mid lilac standards. Falls are mid red-violet, blending lighter to their edge. Big orange beards are sandwiched between white hafts veined dark plum. Two basal branches have a spur on each, and the main stem has 2 branches, all adding up to an incredible 10-11 buds. Sdlg. DD131D: Y211A, I Dreamed A Dream sibling X Silence Please

INDIGO BRIM (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Slight fragrance.
Icy blue white standards are slightly darker at the edge. Falls are icy blue white, with a deep indigo band and yellow haft. This has the classic ‘Emma Cook’ pattern, but with a much deeper band than usual, and an unusual yellow haft. The band appears near black to the eye from across the garden. Sdlg. TN210ZZ: Feed The Flame sibling X Super Sized sibling