UNIMAGINABLE (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 35” (89cm)
Slight musky fragrance It is difficult to say which of the newer veined standards and falls creations I like best. Each is distinctive and has its own appeal. ‘Unimaginable’ is certainly toward the top of the list. Standards are pale lilac with one inch band of dark plum and solid rim. Circular white upper half of falls is covered with black veins progressing to solid black lower half with white dotted laced rims. It is an amazing look. Three branches produce 7-8 buds. Lots of plicata in the background. Sdlg. Z95G: Black V145A: (Etcetera x Spiced Lemon) X Laser Light Show

BACON AND EGGS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Sunnyside up light yellow standards sit atop mid red-brown bacon falls with a little egg at hafts and around them. Clumps are filled with stalks and plenty of increase left for next year. Sdlg. BB195C: Before the Dawn X Mesa Sunrise

BLAZING ORANGE (Paul Black 23)
BB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This fiery apricot orange will instantly command your attention when you walk into your garden. Bright it is. Dark plum hafts showcase vivid red-orange beards. Show stalks have 3 branches and 8-9 buds. Makes quick clumps. Sdlg. Z125A: Time Out X Shivaree

CANDY TYCOON (Paul Black 23)
MTB (tet) Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
No fragrance This tycoon has cornered the market on pink cotton candy blooms. Light peach pink standards and styles top falls with pale peach pink hafts lined and sanded mid rose-pink blending to wide rose band then narrowly edged light peach pink. Coral pink beards are the perfect accessory. Super show stalks have 4 branches and sometimes rebranch with 9-14 buds. Sdlg. AA166G: Black X201C: (Black T171E, Casual Attire pod parent x Black T171D, sib) X Black Y179A, Bright Victory sib

CINEMAGIC (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early 13” (33Ccm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Mid gold standards and styles glow above wide mid ruby falls blended lighter toward edges. Light violet beards tipped black-brown terminate in wide black cherry center stripes. Nice breeding for broken color SDBs. Sdlg. BB246D: Black Y278B: (Black V316F, Circus Act sib x Don’t Fix It) X Yoda

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

DIFFERENT PATH (Paul Black 23)
BB Early-Midseason 26” (66cm)
Slight sweet fragrance In addition to using the species I. junonia in my SDB breeding, I’ve also used it in TB breeding to bring new genes into plicatas. In only two generations, form is modern and show stalks have been the norm. Gently ruffled standards are mid tan-gold rouged light rose over centers. White blended to butter ground falls have rosy plum plic hafts and 1” bands. Mid-marigold beards echo the standards. Easy growth produces quick clumps filled with stalks having 4 branches and 8-9 buds. Sdlg. Z149A: Black X220A: (Barbara May x I. junonia) X House of Cards

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:

TOTALLY HOT (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. Rich golden yellow standards have a maroon line in the center and some sporadic red dots. Falls have a deep yellow ground that is heavily overlaid with deep maroon red rays that become a solid band at petal edge. Tall well branched and showy stems. An extremely bright yellow ground plicata. Sdlg. Z33-1: Plenty Of Jazz sib.

STORM TROOPER (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Rich purple standards over deep maroon black falls with smoldering orange beards. Nicely branched and budded show stems. A real rich and plush bicolor that stands out well in the fields. Sdlg. Z40-B: Dash Of Burgundy X Devil By Night.

SHE’S BEAUTIFUL (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 36” (91cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Another project breeders have pursued for many years is putting a pink beard on a blue or purple iris. It seems loads of baby steps still haven’t gotten us there. These icy blue-white blooms coral pink beards. I probably don’t have enough years left to make it to the goal on this one. I’ll have to be content with it in my dreams. Sdlg. Z136A: Black W152A: (Black T80A: Fantasy in Pink x Black Q6A: (Dearie x Drifting Bubbles)) X Fire and Ice

FEELING PRETTY (Paul Black 23)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance These clear, soft pastel colors will provide a calming presence for your garden. The light peach to greenish cream glaciata flowers are a perfect foil for taller, more colorful companions. Flowers are a bit larger than usual for the class. Can be used to breed quality plicatas, luminatas and more glaciatas. Sdlg. Z178A: Black V296B, Cool Dude sib X House of Cards

FLIPPANT (Paul Black 23)
IB Midseason-Late 24” (61cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Who can get too serious with a clump filled with these wildly colored jokers? What one can take seriously are the superbly formed flowers carried in abundance on show stalks. Cream standards have wide maroon plicata bands and heavily marked centers. Light yellow falls have wide maroon plicata bands. Widely spaced dramatic dark maroon veins course downward. Vivid Marigold beards shout, “I don’t care!”. Show stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 8-9 buds. An exceptional garden variety. Sdlg. Z167A: Black U194G, Peppito sib X Cat Tales

HYBRIDIZERS TAKE NOTE
FUTURISTIC (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 12” (30cm)
Slight sweet fragrance As far as I know, this is the first variegated foliage SDB to be introduced. I’ve bloomed others but none good enough to introduce. ‘Futuristic’ had an interesting beginning. Bloom the first year was a mix of gray-white flowers, grayed pink flowers and some broken colored of gray and pink. Since then, most have transitioned to light gray with a light tan haft veined darker slate tan and narrowly bordered slate violet. There are very subtle light tan broken color segments. Mid old gold beards give a little life to these more somber colors. ‘Futuristic’ is fertile and can produce variegated foliage and broken color flowers but progress is slow. Sdlg. Y262A: Black V277B: (Black S283B: (Black O335B, Burlesque Cutie pod parent x Worry Wart) x Eye of the Tiger) X Black V324A, Egghead sib

PATRIOTIC (Paul Black 23)
BB Midseason-Very Late 27” (69cm)
I’ve been working a number of generations for a turquoise TB or at least one that leans well in that direction. I’ve been incorporating medians to give more genetic possibility. It is another project that I’m fast running out of time to complete. ‘Patriotic’ is a clear sky blue with fine dark blue lines over the falls. Classically formed flowers are carried on show stalks with 3 branches and spur providing 8-10 buds. Clumps are filled with stalks and bloom. Sdlg. AA148A: Poise and Charm X Black W164A: (Luxuriant x Black U67 mid blue sib to pollen parent of New Fangled)

PROCEEDING FORWARD (Paul Black 23)
Spec-X Midseason-Late 12” (30cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Work to further exploit the superb traits of I. junonia continue with this cross to incorporate pink color into the mix. This is a breeders iris more than a polished modern SDB. Mid slate garnet flowers have rusty orange hafts with white veins. Two branches and 4 buds is normal. Sdlg. BB208A: Weird Science X Sweet Pink

RAGTOP (Paul Black 23)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance For breeders, here’s a lovely twofer for you, luminata and plicata on one side and lace of the other. It makes for an exciting parent. Ruffled and lightly laced khaki standards have slate red violet bases. Light khaki style crests are laced. Mid yellow hafts are veined mid mahogany and darker mahogany over lower half. A neat narrow ruffled and laced light khaki band encircles them. Soft old gold beards are the perfect complement. Sdlg. AA259D: Jolly X Little Bit of Lace

RED HOT BLUES (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early 12” (30cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance The layers of color in the falls is entrancing. Standards and styles are mid gold. Black cherry hafts of falls blend to mid rose and then are banded bronzy brown. Half burnt orange and mid lavender beards end with a darker violet flash at their end. Sdlg. BB246A: Black Y278B: (Black V316F, Circus Act x Don’t Fix It) X Yoda