GUESS WHAT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Icy blue white standards sit atop white falls with a wide lilac blue stitched and dotted band. Beards are red. Guess What is a very strong grower and prolific bloomer. Well-formed flowers are carried on beautifully branched and budded stems. Really a gorgeous bloom, with the overall effect being a blue plicata with a red beard. Parentage is unknown, due to mixed cross tags.

HAVE A LOOK (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 40” (101.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Steely blue white standards have a deep mustard central spot. Falls are icy white, with light lemon texture veins, and a deep mustard haft. Extremely wide and ruffled flowers bloom in profusion on tall, well branched and budded stems. A very different pattern that calls for closer inspection. Sdlg. TO224C: Mood For Love sibling X TI234B: (Blyth W84: (Dance A Dance sibling x unknown) x Bring Me Diamonds)

BORN TO BE KINGS (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 32” (81.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Regal and commanding, Born to Be Kings lives up to its royal presence. Crisp, luminous white standards rise in dramatic ruffles above rich, velvety falls of deep royal purple. The falls are boldly accented with a bright golden-yellow edge and glowing white center that radiates outward, drawing the eye straight to the marigold beard. Show stalks showcase these bold flowers. Sdlg. DD6A: Art Critic X Reticulated Ruby

HEAVEN’S ANGEL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight fragrance.
“Wow” is what I say whenever I see this one! The form is absolute perfection. Add a warm color confection to the large, wide, and heavily ruffled flowers, and you have a winner! Standards are warm, clear medium pink, with a cream edge. Falls are the lightest pink to near white, with a stunning lavender band. Beards are near white, so as to not distract from the whole package. Nicely branched and budded stems round it out as a must have. This is one I have been waiting to introduce since its maiden bloom. Sdlg. TO187C: Anti Hero sibling

Oh HERE I AM (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 39” (99cm) Slight fragrance.
Oh Here I Am was planted at the end of a row this past season, and it put on an amazing show. Very light salmon pink standards are echoed in the hafts of the nearly white falls, and emphasize the nice white-tipped orange beard. Perfectly formed flowers are held on tall, well-branched show stems. This iris is an exhibitor’s dream; it will win on the show bench, and bloom for a long period in the garden. A really nice solid iris! Sdlg. TM81A: Loved One sibling

CASTLES IN THE SKY (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
White standards have a wide luminous light cornflower blue plicata banding. Broad white falls are boldly framed with a narrow mid violet-blue plicata band and dramatic solid hafts. Mid blue beards are a subtle complement. Robust, winter-hardy plants produce strong show stalks, having 3 branches plus spur and 9-10 buds. Purple based blue-green foliage adds disease resistance. Stands out even from a distance. Sdlg. CC109A: Black Z100H, Background Noise sibling X Black AA45A: (Rumor Has It x Me And My Shadow)

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))

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

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

INFLUENCER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are very light lemon, with a large deep golden yellow center. Falls are rich lavender, with a deep red violet to burgundy diffused spot in the center. Influencer has really lovely form, and the wide and ruffled flowers are displayed on show stems! Another from the ‘pansy face’ line that we love. Sdlg. TO253C: unknown, lost tag

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)))

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

PINK EXPLOSION (Paul Black 26)
MTB Midseason-late 22” (56cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Refined flowers are pink. Mid pink standards encase a bit darker styles. Light pink falls have darker hafts and margins. Glowing tangerine beards finish it all. Two to three branches produce 7-9 buds. An exciting parent for all median classes. Sdlg. EE108A: Sassy Senorita X Dream Of Dreams

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)

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)

SAILS UP (Paul Black 26)
MTB Early-midseason 25” (63.5cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
It’s time for a pleasant day on the water – hoist the sails. Compact flowers are white, with fall centers lightly washed palest violet, blending to wide light violet margins. White beards don’t distract from a perfect day. Three well-spaced branches carry 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE99A: CC151A, Dainty Bride sibling X CC119 sib: Double Or Nothing sibling

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

TOMBOY BLUE (Paul Black 26)
MDB Early-midseason 7” (18cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This cute sibling to ‘Blue Songbird’ is just as appealing, but in a more subtle way. Standards of tightly constructed flowers are palest blue. Clear mid blue falls blend paler to their edge. Light blue beards are frosted white. Makes a serenely beautiful clump. Perfect as an edging, or in a rock garden. Sdlg. EE127D: Slightly Confused X By The Sea

INNOCENT AGE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm) Slight fragrance.
Very light lemon-yellow standards are contrasted by the large deep lemon style crests that peek out from within. Falls are white with a nice rosy violet band. Beards are a pleasing lemon, with white at the end. The nicely ruffled flowers are almost laced. A very pretty iris for the lover of the softer tones. Sdlg. TO240E: Let Me Be There X Just Between Us