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

YOWZA (Paul Black 23)
MTB (tet) Late-Very Late 22” (56cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Considerable breeding has taken place to create fuller and more ruffled MTBs. After years of refining, the goal has been achieved. These classically formed and ruffled blooms create an elegant presence. Mid lilac standards base blends upward to light mauve pink with gilt tan-gold rims. Mid mauve pink styles peer out over very round light buff-pink falls etched with plum veins over their hafts. Fluffy tangerine beards top it all off. Strong growth creates clumps filled with show stalks having 3 branches plus 2 spurs with 9-12 buds. Exceptionally nice in every respect. Sdlg. AA161B: Black X185C, Queen Mum sib X Black Y196B, involved

CHRISTENING (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Light fragrance. Beautifully formed white with an inner glow of lavender in the heart of the flower, becoming lighter around the icy lavender white beards. Really emits the feeling of purity and innocence. Nice stems with show branching. Ruffled and lightly laced! Very elegant! Sdlg. TJ136ZZ: lost parentage, but certainly coming from the blue bearded pink breeding lines

ON MY WAY (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91cm)
Sweet fragrance. Very pretty shade of mauve to lavender standards, deeper in color at the base. Pretty buff pink style arms add a bit of subtle contrast. Falls are very light mauve to near white. Beards are a true lavender with white hair tips. This iris is from blue bearded pink breeding. I can visualize someday having a white with a large lavender beard. Sdlg. TK155ZZ: Simply Fabulous X unknown, illegible tag

MAKE UP YOUR MIND (Black ’24)
TB Early-midseason 33” (84cm)
Sweet fragrance. This is one of the first broken color plicatas. Subsequent generations indicate it is an inheritable trait, so let the breeding begin. Nothing in the parentage indicates the possibility of broken color. About 1/3 of the seedlings from this cross were plicatas, about 1/3 were selfs, and about 1/3 were broken color plicatas. Well-branched stalks have 2 branches and a spur producing 7-9 blooms. Vigorous growth provides quick clumps. Intriguing to see each flower marked differently. Sdlg. AA84T: Come And Dance X Starry Starry Night

GO CAT GO (Black ’24)
TB (small flowered) Midseason-late 32” (81.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Here we have one of my infamous “small flowered tall bearded” introductions. Disclaimer: There is no such class. It is a TB, the only class for it. It is from about as diverse a parentage as one can get. There are TBs, tet MTBs, IBs, and SDBs in its background. What a breeding bonanza! Expect considerable variation in seedling heights in breeding. Clumps are filled with show stalks that have 3 to 4 branches and 12-15 buds. It is a showstopper. Growth and disease resistance is A++. Perfect for windy areas prone to toppling taller TBs. Every garden should have one. Sdlg. BB111D: Black Label X Black Y77A: (Black U59A: (Soft Whisper x Simply Coral) x Daffy Duck)

SACK OF SUNSHINE (Black ’24)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. This vigorous and hardy yellow ground plicata comes from very different breeding. It produces consistent show stalks that are at home in the garden or on the show bench. Plicata markings are somewhat variable from one year to the next. Use it to breed for better plicata winter hardiness. Sldg. BB98A: Black Y52B: (Black U14A: (Dog Days x Black R133A: (Black O159B: (Out Of The Dark x Sea Power) x Black P75B: (Black L83D, Wonders Never Cease sib x Cheap Frills))) x Black U1A, Luxuriant sib) X Black Z90F: (Black V143B, Heartfelt sib x Black V154F: (Black S114B, Dare Me sib x Black S112H, Bright On Top sib))

NEVER NEVER LAND (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. ‘Me And My Shadow’ has been an excellent parent. I am excited about the possibilities of using Never Never Land in plicata breeding since it is half plicata. Its vivid red-orange beards will be a wonderful bold addition when transferred to plicatas. Superior garden traits make it a great garden subject. Standards are light blue with a tan wire rim. Falls are velvety purple black with a narrow purple band. A touch of light apricot in the center accentuates the bold red-orange beards. Sdlg. BB164D: Daffy Duck X Me And My Shadow

SUDDEN OUTBURST (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweetly scented.
Sudden Outburst comes from the ‘pansy face’ pattern breeding program. Standards are icy blue white. Falls are a rich deep violet with reddish hafts and a wide lavender band. Very pretty and well received at the local iris show.
Sdlg. TN50B: TH68C, Autumn Tease sib: (Seasons In The Sun x Risk Taker) X Truth Or Dare

DOUBLE DEALING (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 30” (76cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Breeding for broken color irises is difficult, and even more so for variegated foliage. The presence of both in the same iris is still a rare achievement. Double Dealing meets the challenge. Variegated foliage has segments that are blue-green, grass green and white. Broken color flowers have standards of light tan-yellow with mid rosy mauve broken color segments. Falls are mid tan-gold with mid maroon sanding and dark maroon broken color segments, streaks, and splashes. Stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 8 buds.
Sdlg. BB117A: Y87A: (V24C, Cockeyed Optimist sib x W144C: (T46C: (Claim To Fame x Advantage) x T52CR: (N134AAR: (Island Coral x K113A: (Throb x I4B: (Blazing Sunrise x C17D, Vibrant sib))) x Advantage))) X Y115B, Breaking Free sib