VARIATION ON A THEME (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
This theme includes several medians and I. aphylla in the parentage. I’m excited when I can add more diversity in a cross. As I like to say, “More is more.” The blending, shades, and patterning of blue bring to mind the ever-changing skies. Standards are mid-dark blue blending to mid-light blue toward edges. Inky dark blue falls blend to wide light blue bands. Two-toned beards are a fun accent. Moderately sized flowers are carried on three branches having 9-10 buds.
Sdlg. BB161E: Y170C, Stardust Evening sib X Z145H: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

GLOWING MAGIC (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 29” (73.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This luscious glaciata is a blended medley of mid pink to peach with mid apricot hafts and bands. Glaciatas are prone to virus. So far this lovely creation has remained virus free. Strong growth produces stalks with 3 branches and 7-8 buds. An excellent parent for all types of plicatas. One of my favorite irises, with an added bonus of medians in its background.
Sdlg. CC67E: Y152B, Fantasmagorical sib X Fantasmagorical

TYRANNOSIRIS REX (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Well, maybe it isn’t quite as large as Tyrannosaurus Rex, but it is big and exuberantly ruffled. The standards have a small grayed light-yellow center that blends to light pewter, then to a wide light grayed brown band. Expansive falls are mid grayed yellow with mahogany hafts blended lighter to their edge. Mid old gold beards end in a short, wide, slate violet stripe. Unique it is! Excellent plant habits help create memorable clumps filled with show stalks.
Sdlg. CC71A: Stardust Evening X Espionage

BOUNCING BLUE BETTY (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
I’ll leave it to you to figure out which Betty and where the bounce is. Is it in her footsteps? She is elegantly appealing. Ruffled icy white standards echo the interesting white falls that are delicately washed pale blue to several shades darker toward their edges. Statuesque stalks can have 4 branches with 11-12 buds. Put some bounce in your garden.
Sdlg. CC76A: Z40B: (V67A: (R72A: (Fancy Dog x M80CC: (First Page x Man About Town)) x Blueberry Parfait) x V191D: (R174B: (Frontline x Bluebird Of Happiness) x Dancing Star)) X X1A: (Adriatic Waves x All Ashore)

ATLANTIC BLUE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This mid-dark violet-blue bitone has the impact of powerful Atlantic waves. Mid plum veins are drawn over the large white fall patch surrounding large marigold beards. Strong, well-branched stalks have 3 branches and 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. CC115D: Z114B: (V159Q, Pleasure's All Mine sib x V159O, Pleasure's All Mine sib) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x VO148A, Enough Is Enough sib) x Celebration)

ATHENA’S ROBE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Give your garden an alluring covering with this multi-colored beauty. Solid gold standards stand proudly above mid blue-violet falls graced with harvest gold hafts and light mauve-brown distal banding. Large marigold beards ensure it won’t be lost among the others. Shorter stalks stand against strong winds and have 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. Robust growth.
Sdlg. CC124B: Z137A: (W152B: (T80A: (Fantasy In Pink x Q6A: (Dearie x Drifting Bubbles)) x Multnomah Falls) x Shivaree) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x Enough Is Enough) x Celebration)

GETTING SOME SUN (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Moderately sized flowers and shorter stalks help keep this sunny creation upright when the weather turns cloudy and rainy. Mid-dark yellow standards are echoed in the color of the hafts, band and texture veins of the white falls. Big mid marigold beards demand you come closer. Two widely spaced branches carry 7 buds.
Sdlg. CC124H: Z137A: (W152B: (T80A: (Fantasy In Pink x Q6A: (Dearie x Drifting Bubbles)) x Multnomah Falls) x Shivaree) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x Enough Is Enough) x Celebration)

ON SILKEN WINGS (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
More moderately sized flowers are presented in abundance on stalks having three branches plus spur, and spur on the lower branch, with 9-12 buds. Standards are light green-ecru as are narrow bands on pale slate blue falls. It is a lovely complement to more busily patterned flowers.
Sdlg. CC179A: Pleasure's All Mine X Z25D: (Lightly Buttered x U38C, Jungle Mist sib)

DEVIL IN DISGUISE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The disguise is a brilliant success. Who’d expect anything evil about this lavish blending of dark to mid purples adorned with an angelic near white beard. Super wide falls with lightly ruffled edges allow an unobstructed display of its alluring color. Minimal plicata marking of the standards at the midrib hint at its plicata heritage. Three well-spaced branches carry 9-10 buds.
Sdlg. DD62A: AA78B, Misplaced Dots sib X Awash In Purple

HEART SO TRUE (P. Black '25)
TB Late-very late 31” (78.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
If you want a BIG robust pink iris for your garden, here it is. Large flowers have mid pink standards. White falls have light pink washed hafts, band, center stripe, and widely spaced texture veins. Zingy pink beards enliven this more subtle creation. Super strong stalks have three branches plus spur and 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Z124C: Time Out X Pink Poodle

ACCENT ON COLOR (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Flowers are a riot of colors and patterning from near red to maroon to indigo, in various overlays and blendings. All of this is further accented with large marigold beards. Well branched stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9-10 buds. Unique!
Sdlg. Z127E: W60A: (Go For Broke x S116A: (Name Game x P228A: (Palace Symphony x Blyth N197-2: (Devil's Own x Fiery Temper)))) X Watercolor Print

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

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

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

AUTUMN RICHES (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Slight fragrance.
Light lemony buff standards are heavily shot pink in the centers, becoming veining towards the edge. Falls are a rich pumpkin orange. Nicely ruffled flowers that have amazing garden impact with color that radiates across the garden. Sdlg. TN128ZZ: TI225ZZ, Untamed Glory sibling X Come To Life

BEHIND THE SCENES (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 39” (99cm) Slight fragrance.
Eggshell standards have an ecru to greenish yellow base. Falls are very light lavender with a maroon haft, and a deep purple central wash that extends down further in the middle. Large flowers are held on very tall stems. Unique and different. Sdlg. TN47ZZ: Feel The Beat X Space Signal

BLIZZARD WARNING (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
When faced with the daunting task of naming irises each year, I often put the photos up on the computer screen to help inspire me. When I saw all of the photos for this one, I instantaneously said “Blizzard Warning”, because it just has a wintery blizzard sort of look. White standards sit atop white falls that are veined then washed bluish purple, with a light lavender edge. A very pretty color and pattern that certainly gets a lot of notice in the field. Sdlg. TN223C: This Is Crazy sibling X Just Between Us sibling

CALL TO ATTENTION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
The nice contrasting of this bicolor definitely catches your attention. Medium lemon yellow standards are very clean and clear. Falls are a rich deep burgundy red with a narrow lemon rim. Beautiful, full, round, and ruffled form, with great clarity of color. Sdlg. TM113RR: Distant Shores X Painted Sky

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