WAR OF WORDS (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Brilliant yellow standards with the edges veined in red. Falls are a rich dark chocolate with yellow rays extending out from around the beard. Gorgeous flowers on exceptionally well branched and budded stalks. A very fast increaser and easy doer. Sdlg. TK90ZZ: Superhero Kiss sib.

WEB OF LIES (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards are lavender with gold veining though out and a gold edge. Falls are white with a lilac and rose dotted band and a blue dart below the beard. This is a very fun patterned plicata. Web Of Lies is very tall and always with show stems. We also really love the form on this one. Sdlg. TK279ZZ: Unknown lost parentage.

WORD FOR WORD (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Mauve pink standards, deeper in the center and more pink at the edge. Falls are a deep rich orchid lavender. Beards are red. A very strong grower, makes a very beautiful clump blooming over a long period. Another one of our favorites. Sdlg. TK46WW: sib to Stoked and
Double Jeopardy.

WORDS OF WISDOM (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 37” (94cm)
Sweet perfume. Old gold standards with a light yellow edge. Falls are a rich deep mauve with a gold band. Tall large and stately come to mind with this one. It is a very fast clumper and very floriferous, covering itself in bloom. A very good iris. Sdlg. TK3YY: Suave and Sophisticated sib.

ZERO GRAVITY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet perfume. Steely blue standards with gold and violet blended centers. Falls are steely blue. A very ghostly looking iris and one that we like a lot. Beautiful form and stems. Sdlg. TL22C: Sergey X Espionage.

BRING IN THE CLOWNS (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance Exuberantly ruffled standards and falls remind one of the exaggerated ruffles of the circus clown’s collar. Dark charcoal red brown falls show a bit of light yellow plic ground centers. Bright light-mid yellow ground falls have narrow dark charcoal red brown plic bands. White chevrons around dark old gold beards have brown-black veins and sanding. Superbly branched stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9-10 buds. If ruffles are your thing then this clown should be in your garden. Sdlg. Z100V, Felix the Cat sib

COVER OF NIGHT (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This exciting variety is a clandestine exploration of what takes place at night. Standards have dark violet blue elliptical centers blending to wide dark purple bands underlaid with black veins. Halfmoon white fall centers on black falls are veined overall purple black. Mid gold beards glow in the darkness. White dotted rims encircle these dark beauties. Three branches have 8-9 buds. This cross yielded many superb seedlings to choose from. Sdlg. AA73J, How Bizarre! sib

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 33” (84cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Such joyful colors say come on and celebrate when it is in bloom. Tightly constructed blooms have pale blue-white standards flushed light lilac up midribs. Silky mid-dark lilac falls are delicately edged crystalline blue. Fiery red-orange beards give a lively lift to this celebration. Two branches carry 7 buds. Sdlg. AA130A: Black X89C, Paisley Print sib X Chocolates and Silk

I LIKE LACE (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 30” (76cm)
Slight musky fragrance Prickly lace on lighter colored irises kicks their appeal up another notch. Heavily laced light violet standards dance above palest violet falls toned slightly darker toward their margins. Deeply sculpted texture veins add a three-dimensional quality. Light yellow beards are the perfect accessory. Two branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. AA270A: Soul Mate X Super Model
I apologize the image quality isn't the best

HOW BIZARRE! (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance My ‘Action Packed’ has given rise to many other excitingly patterned standards and falls like ‘How Bizarre!”. Pale chalky grayed violet elliptical standards centers give way to wide mid tan-gold bands heavily veined and rimmed mid red brown. Velvety purple black falls have white centers heavily veined and sanded dark purple. Old gold beards echo standards color. An easy late show winner with 3 branches and 7 buds. Strong growth and clean disease resistant foliage. Sdlg. AA73A: Laser Light Show X Black X141E: (Black U53D, Rise Like a Phoenix sib x Black U38B, Jungle Mist sib)

HOT WIRED (L. Miller ’23)
TB Midseason 32” (81cm)
Light fragrance. Not just another plicata! Standards are mostly solid rich maroon with slight undertones of apricot in the center. The lacey edges of the very dark apricot styles are trimmed in maroon. Flaring falls have apricot-peach ground bordered by a solid maroon edge that turns to dots as it extends from the burnt dark orange beards. 9 to 10 buds on well branched stalks. Sdlg. 5217E Powder Keg X 9813A, lost cross.

LIGHT THE NIGHT (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
slight spicy fragrance Beaming out of the night is a bright flash of light. Sparse white lines creep up the midribs of dark red-purple standards. Velvety red-black falls are accented with short white rays alongside beards and longer dart at the end of white beards overlaid tan gold. Three branches provide 8-9 buds. Possible parent for rebloom via ‘Part Two’. Beautiful garden presence. Sdlg. AA78J: Part Two X Starry Starry Night

MISPLACED DOTS (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 42” (107cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Other crosses using ‘Starry Starry Night’ have yielded more startling broken color plicatas. Plic markings on ‘Misplaced Dots’ are quite variable but the overall look is a traditional violet blue plicata. In breeding it has both the possibility of rebloom and broken color plics. Mid violet blue standards have slightly darker edge stitching and white plic centers. Styles are dark violet blue. Narrow mid violet blue plic bands encircle white falls with centers heavily and randomly dotted mid violet blue. Super tall stalks have 3-4 branches plus spur and 9-11 buds. Moderately sized blooms and stalks that flex help keep stalks upright in the wind. Sdlg. AA78A, Light the Night sib

MODERN MAJESTY (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 30” (76cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance No dowdy queen here. Her ‘Modern Majesty’ is decked out in the latest fashion but still with classic tight form. Mid-dark purple standards centers blend lighter to wide mid mauve bands. Falls are light pinkish mauve with darker texture veins and darker rose mauve hafts veined white. Fat orange beards make a lively statement. Two branches and spur produce 7 buds. Sdlg. Z53B: Make My Heart Sing X Princess Grace

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Sparkling pristine white flowers have standards decorated with wide vibrant mid violet plicata bands and sparse sanded veins over their centers. Amount of center markings varies considerably from sparse to overall. Contrasting dark plum style crests peak out over white falls with narrow mid purple plic bands. Dark wine sanded darts cover the hafts then give way to closely spaced light yellow veins. Light marigold to white beards are the perfect complement. Clumps provide a light and bright spot in your garden. Two branches and spur have 5 buds. Sdlg. Z64E: All too Exciting X Black W143F, Wild Streak sib

CLEAR VIEW (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
No fragrance Chalky pale lilac standards have wide light mauve finely lined bands. Dark red purple falls have white veins over hafts and short light violet dart at end of light orange to white beards. Very pretty ruffled form. Sdlg. BB245B: Black Y270A: (involved) X By the Sea

DEMURE PRINCESS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early-Midseason 13” (33cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance Absolutely beautiful in every way – form, color and plants. Round and gently ruffled falls of mid violet blue flowers have large darker violet blue spots with white darts over hafts. Soft pale blue beards are the perfect accent. Evenly distributed stalks throughout the clump. Sdlg. BB199F: Zaa Zaa Zing sib

DREAM OF DREAMS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This little jewel represents one more refinement in a many generations quest for late blooming, multi-budded and branched stalks with shorter foliage so all flowers can be seen. I place it close to the top of my breeding accomplishments. Clear mid yellow flowers are born on 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. That sort of stalk and buds would make even a TB proud. Stalks are mid slate purple. Now the challenge is to add more colors and patterns. Imagine the breeding potential represented here. An easy candidate for “Queen of Show”. Sdlg. AA157A: Continuation X Black Y191A, Perfectly Composed sib

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (Paul Black 23)
BB Late-Very Late 24” (61cm)
Slight musky fragrance You’ll return again and again to gaze upon this sultry siren. Full, classically formed flowers have smooth mid-dark garnet standards. Velvety black cherry falls are delicately edged in narrow paler ruffles. Glowing light yellow hafts are veined and sanded black cherry and adorned with smoldering burnt orange beards. Clean, vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches and 7-9 buds. The IB, 'Morning Show' was used to provide a different genetic base in the quest for "the red iris". Sdlg. Z121A: Black V170A: (Morning Show x Black P248B, Hi Love pollen parent) X Black X59A, Radiant Garnet sib

SHEER MADNESS (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Early 38” (96.5cm)
Musky fragrance. Standards have lilac blue centers that are bordered in reddish violet plicata dotting. Falls have a light-yellow ground that is overlaid with light red around beard, then the ground color becomes a dark yellow that is overlaid with a dark red wash to the petal edge. A very complex color combination that is very pretty and unique. Sdlg. X213-AA: