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)

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

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

PRONOUNCEMENT (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
Its bold colors pronounce to the world, “I’m here!” Clear, mid yellow, exuberantly ruffled standards are circled by creamy yellow margins. Strongly flared, velvety mahogany falls are smoothly overlaid plum, blending lighter to narrow old gold margins. Soft marigold beards don’t interfere with the ‘Pronouncement’. Two nicely spaced branches and spur produce 7-8 buds. Sdlg. EE55F: Black BB103A, All About Color sibling X Enthusiastic

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)

HIGHLY RATED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Standards are deep shrimp pink with a lemon peach band. Falls are rich shrimp to flamingo pink, with a lighter area below the beard, and a narrow cream edge, yellow at the haft. Really a beautiful color, with lots of buds. One branch is a little tight on the stem, but still opens unobstructed. Stunning, once again showing the value of ‘Lovely Livvy’ as a parent! Sdlg. TM116ZZ: For Real sibling

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

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

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

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

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)