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

SUMMER STROLL (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
The setting summer sun casts a warm glow as you stroll about. The light clear pink standards of this glaciata blend to wide, light clear yellow bands. Ruffled white falls blend to light yellow margins. Mid tangerine beards rise from peachy orange hafts. Summer Stroll creates a very satisfying clump filled with show stalks. Stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9-10 buds. So very pretty. Its later bloom assures it will escape the late frosts/freezes that so many other glaciatas are prone to damage by. Sdlg. EE75D: BB149D, Wild About You sibling X BB149B, Wild About You sibling

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

CANDY BEARD (Paul Black 26)
MTB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Oh yes, these beards are good enough to eat. Mid pink styles peer from between mid-light blue-pink standards. White falls have wide rosy pink plicata banding, lines and dotting over the center. Makes a very colorful clump. Well-branched stalks have 3 branches and 7-8 buds. Sdlg. EE181A: Bright Victory X Candy Tycoon

HONOR STUDENT (Paul Black 26)
SDB Midseason-late 12” (30.5cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
Of course this student gets top marks. Rampant growth ensures a clump filled with perfectly formed blooms. The color of the light violet-blue standards is repeated in a wire rim around the mid to dark violet-blue shaded falls. Large light lavender beards with frosted white tips are showcased in a nest of white haft darts. Sdlg. EE132A: La La Palooza sibling

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

TWINKLING EYES (Paul Black 26)
SDB Midseason-late 11” (28cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This sibling of ‘Dark Eyed Lass’ is similar, but adds warming light gold hafts and indigo shadings around the big near-black spots on widely banded white falls. White standards dance above its dramatically colored falls. Big fluffy yellow to white bi-color beards are a joyful accent. Sdlg. DD163B: BB248B, Touch Of Turquoise sibling X Zaa Zaa Zing

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

INTENSIFIER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
I literally took a step back when this bloomed for the first time. What makes Intensifier so dramatic is the clarity and separation of the color. The standards are pure pristine white. Falls are a plush deep violet to near black, with a light lavender band thinly etched in violet. Beards are orange with red tips. Really dramatic in the fields. Sdlg. TN125A: Headline News X Smashing Sensation

ON THE PROWL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
White ground petals have a lavender lilac plicata dotted band and a belly stripe. Hafts are touched with deep red wine rays. Large, fuzzy beards are yellow-orange. This little iris really stands out in a crowd. Sdlg. TN281A: Penny For Your Thoughts sibling X Talking Back

FOR EMMA (Lynda Miller ’26)
TB Midseason-late 29” (73.5cm) No fragrance.
Named for our dearly departed friend Emma Cook, since the pattern of this iris was named after her. Standards are snow white; styles are tinted ice blue white, with yellow at the base of the standards. The snow white falls are banded medium purple, with a lighter watermark between the purple and the white. Beards are bright full yellow. Seven buds on strong stems. Sdlg. 4119K: 6415D: (She’s A Bimbo x Private Eye) X Edge Of Heaven

PARTY BOSS (Lynda Miller ’26)
IB Early-midseason 27” (68.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are buff pink, infused violet up the midrib. Falls are medium violet, with a pink rim and a white rayed area around the pinkish orange beard. Sdlg. 1721A: Flirty Dancing X Belle Fille

SING SOFTLY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light pink standards rise above white falls with a heavy stitched and dotted red violet haft and wide dotted edge. Coral orange beards draw you in. A very distinctive and different plicata. Sdlg. TP289A: Catch My Eye X Tula

SUNSHINE BLUES (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 14” (35.5cm) Light fragrance.
White ground petals have a lemon plicata overlay on both standards and falls. There are also a few faint lilac plicata dots throughout the flower. A very large deep blue beard certainly makes the whole flower pop. A unique pattern and color combination. Sdlg. TO75D: Believe X Cheers To You

TOY BOX (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 14” (35.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Medium orange standards sit atop deeper orange falls with a short white flash below the frosted deep blue beards. A great advance toward a solid orange blue-bearded self. Sdlg. TP294B: Sheila Johnson sibling

UNVEILED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
MDB Midseason-late 7” (18cm) Light fragrance.
Orange standards have pink tones in the center. The ground color of the falls shifts from white around the beard to light salmon, which is surrounded by a wide near-solid red-violet band and pink wire rim. Sdlg. TO65C: Born To Boogie X Party On

YUM (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Early-midseason 13” (33cm) Slight fragrance.
Brilliant pink standards have an orange band and gold rim. Falls are a blend of melon, lemon, and pink, with a slight white area below the white beard. A gorgeous, clean, and clear color. Sdlg. TP196A: All Of Me X TL258A: (Orange Obsession x Lead The Way)