ARE YOU KIDDING ME (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The name was inspired by our young iris enthusiast friend Dylan Just. If you have ever seen his lively inspiring iris videos, you will certainly recognize the phrase “are you kidding me” as his signature punchline. It is a very fitting name, and very descriptive of the way I myself felt the year it first bloomed. It comes from the line of unique iris that have been coined the ‘pansy face’ pattern. I love everything about this iris, from its lavender standards with maroon base, to its wide and ruffled falls with deep maroon central overlay. The beards are blended a mysterious old gold to purple. Strong growth and gorgeous show stems just solidify the deal. Sdlg. TN180A: Feel The Beat X Autumn Tease sibling

WOVEN TAPESTRY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are the faintest of oyster blue with violet and pink washed centers. Falls are rich mauve, with a deep reddish purple washed central fall spot. Beards are burnt orange. We just love the colors of this iris, and it is illustrated so well, in a dramatic pattern. Nice stems with plenty of buds. Sdlg. TO238A: For The Ages X Suspicious Minds

DEEP APPRECIATION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Deep black cherry to black standards show a slight bit of yellow ground in the center. Falls have a white ground with a lemon-yellow wash that is dotted deep black cherry, with a dark bar around the beard and line below the beard. The fall then has a wide black cherry band. It differs from its sister ‘Love In The Dark’ in that Deep Appreciation is near black, whereas the former is a very deep oxblood red. Very stunning! Sdlg. TM149QQ: Love In The Dark sibling

EYE LOVE YOU (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight musky fragrance.
I have been working on the ‘pansy face’ pattern, or you could say ‘signal’ pattern, in TBs for quite a few years. Trying to get different colors in the pattern has been fun. Eye Love You has a lot going on in the color department. Standards are flesh to peach, with large pink centers and a lavender infusion up the midrib. Falls are light lavender with a deep maroon signal, and upon closer inspection, there is a very faint lighter peach band. The orange beard sitting on top of the maroon signal just makes the whole thing pop. It certainly makes for a brilliant display in the fields, and won’t be mistaken for any other iris. Sdlg. TN31ZZ: Truth Or Dare X Autumn Tease

HAVE A LOOK (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 40” (101.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Steely blue white standards have a deep mustard central spot. Falls are icy white, with light lemon texture veins, and a deep mustard haft. Extremely wide and ruffled flowers bloom in profusion on tall, well branched and budded stems. A very different pattern that calls for closer inspection. Sdlg. TO224C: Mood For Love sibling X TI234B: (Blyth W84: (Dance A Dance sibling x unknown) x Bring Me Diamonds)

HEART AND SOUL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Heart And Soul has a pattern that one would be more likely to see in an SDB: a large, plush, deep burgundy fall spot on super brilliant canary yellow to gold petals. The colors are so bright, especially in the sun, that one wants to reach for the sunglasses! Absolutely amazing, and shows from clear across the field. Heart And Soul has strong growth, and lots of bloom on nicely branched stems. Sdlg. TN31YY: Eye Love You sibling

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

INFLUENCER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are very light lemon, with a large deep golden yellow center. Falls are rich lavender, with a deep red violet to burgundy diffused spot in the center. Influencer has really lovely form, and the wide and ruffled flowers are displayed on show stems! Another from the ‘pansy face’ line that we love. Sdlg. TO253C: unknown, lost tag

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

LET YOUR LOVE FLOW (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Blue pink standards have lighter pink edges. Falls are the faintest lavender white, deepening slightly before becoming a flesh band. Medium lavender beards are large and bushy. This strong grower has wonderful form and nice stems. Really spectacular! Sdlg. TO154A: Eyes Of An Angel sibling X I Write The Songs

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 40” (101.5cm) Slight fragrance.
I had a dream many years ago to take that wonderful burnt orange color on the iris ‘Shockaholic’ and put it on a plant that had wider branching and a better stem, thus the name of this lovely result, Mission Accomplished. I am very happy with this one. The standards are light blue lavender with a deep orange spot in the center. Falls are rich burnt orange with a lighter edge. Beards are rich tangerine to red. The icing on the cake is the tall, well branched and budded stems. Mission Accomplished also inherited its great vigor from ‘Shockaholic’. Sdlg. TN157ZZ: Big Flirt sibling X Shockaholic

NEXT CHAPTER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
This iris is for the lovers of brown. Now if we could just make the standards a clean white, we could take it to the next level. At any rate, it is truly stunning as is. Standards are creamy white, with a heavy dose of deep lemon infused up through the center. Falls are a rich brown, with a lighter amber yellow edge. Strong growth and nice show stems add to the appeal. We like our Next Chapter very much! Sdlg. TN97UU: Autumn Tease sibling X Que Sera Sera

WATCHFUL EYE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light lavender white standards have dark lemon centers and a light lemon touched edge. Falls are a light lavender white with a deep rust haft and a deep violet black flash below the beard. Quite a stunner of an iris, and one that has been much loved in the garden. Tall, well branched and budded stems make it a contender for best in show on the show bench. Sdlg. TN180F: Are You Kidding Me and Looking Like That sibling