IMPRESSIVE (Paul Black '22)
IB Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance It is quite reminiscent of ‘Daughter of Stars’ but shares little in common ancestry. White veins trace through violet blue standards. Dark purple falls are brightened by white luminata patches and dart at the end of beards. Show stalks to be expected from the parentage have 2 branches plus spur and 7-9 buds. Clumps command your attention.
Sdlg. AA170A: Belle Fille X Black V385C: (First Lady of Spring x Silver Ice)

BACKGROUND NOISE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Two of this year’s introductions are from this cross that produced many delightful seedlings. ‘Me and My Shadow’ has proven to be a solid parent for quality later blooming hardy plicatas. Light blending to dark butterscotch standards have fine darker caramel veining. Styles are darker butterscotch with styles veined brown. Crisp white falls are decorated with wide dark burgundy plicata bands while near black irregular lines descend part way down their centers. Three well-spaced branches carry 7-8 buds. A vigorous and hardy plicata.
Sdlg. Z100I: Me and My Shadow X First Pick

HASHTAG (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 12” (30.5cm)
Slight fragrance. Very light yellow-orange standards. Falls have a white ground that is completely lined with deep maroon red lines and veins. The hafts are touched yellow. Beards are white with tangerine hair tips. Very striking and the first lined SDB in this color that we know of. The parents of this one are the two iris named after our two little dogs. Sdlg. TM175A: Alaia X Tula.

LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB early-midseason 35” (89cm)
Lightly scented. LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23) TB early-midseason 35” (89cm) Lightly scented. This gorgeous iris is named to honor the late great Olivia Newton-John. Olivia was not only a very talented celebrity but she was a gorgeous human being. Although I never met her, I certainly followed her career and life. Always a kind, warm and loving person, she never acted the celebrity, taking time to acknowledge all who came upon her. She courageously fought breast cancer in an out of remission for 20 years. Never one to complain she always looked on the positive side of things. The latter part of her life was dedicated to finding a cure for Cancer. She founded the Oliva Newton-John Cancer And Wellness Centre In Melbourne, Australia, the country she called home. Here she tirelessly raised money to support cancer research using plant-based treatments. Lovely Livvy was the pet name the media used throughout Olivia’s life to describe her. The iris we have chosen to honor her kind of named itself. Firstly, it is pink, the color of breast cancer awareness. On top of that, I made the cross in the garden of Barry and Lesley Blyth (using two of Barry’s seedlings), who live only miles from where Olivia grew up. Lovely Livvy is an extraordinary and unique creation in a color combination that has not yet been seen in iris until now. White standards are flushed pink. Falls are a deeper rose pink with a gorgeous ruffled white band. Olivia with her kind and generous heart inspired me to do my part, so I donated a portion of the proceeds of each plant sold in its introductory year (2023) to her Cancer research centre in Australia. Sdlg. TJ335B: X267-12 (U232-1: (S290-3: Raise the Curtain x Another Woman) x (S69-1: (02-185c: Restless Heart x Queen’s Circle) x (02-191B: Tour De France x Rippling River))) x Bashful Love. X Walk Right Back pod parent.

ONE IN A MILLION (T. Johnson ’23)
TB flat Midseason 35” (89cm)
No fragrance. To the best of our knowledge this is the first TB flat plicata to be introduced, thus the name. No standards and 6 falls. The style arms are etched on the crests with the same pattern as is on the edge of the falls. The falls are white then bordered and stitched red violet. Sometimes but not always each fall will have a center belly stripe of violet that appears as a narrow straight line extending from the beard to the petal edge. Sdlg. TL172ZZ: Parentage is unknown lost tag.

REFINED ELEGANCE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. The first thing that comes to mind about Refined Elegance is form! It was stunning in the fields this past spring. Lemon yellow standards are shot lilac up the midrib. Falls are a rosy lilac being deeper at the haft and lighter at the edge. A heavy wash of lemon on either side of the beard helps to accentuate the ruffles. This is a beautiful iris in a different sort of color pattern than we have seen. Sdlg. TK131WW: Head Of the Class sib.

OH SO DIFFERENT (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 30” (76cm)
No fragrance It takes center stage with one of the most dramatically unique flowers. Standards and falls are both a study in color and pattern. Light buffy tan blended standards are widely banded with fine dark plum filigree. Old gold style crests striped dark brown emerge from between them. White falls are a puzzle of purple black veins and sanding overall becoming darker and more closely spaced toward edges. White stitching on reverses adds more distinction. Mid marigold beards help focus the eye. Of course, this has been a favorite since it first bloomed. Three branches have 8-9 buds. Easy and fast growth. Sdlg. AA73L, How Bizarre! Sib

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

FREE AT LAST (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 40” (102cm)
Sweet fragrance. The photo says it all with this iris. The gorgeous wide, ruffled and impeccable form of the flowers first comes to mind. The ruffled medium yellow standards have a slight pink flush in the centers. Falls are cream with deeper yellow hafts and a lacy yellow edge. Sdlg. TL70ZZ: Slice Of Heaven X Painted Shadows

TOTAL SURPRISE (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason. 37” (94cm)
Slight fragrance. Total surprise indeed is what happened when this one first bloomed. Certainly not what I was expecting, but happy for sure. White standards have a yellow blush to them. Falls are rust to red with a white spray pattern around the beard and a light lavender to white band. Total Surprise is the product of two great parents, who have both proven their worth over and over again. Sdlg. TL137ZZ: When Doves Cry X Dressed To The Nines

DIVINE ENCHANTRESS (Black ’24)
BB Midseason-late 27” (68.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Such beauty with exceptional garden qualities! Strong clean growth produces show stalks with 4 branches and 12-15 buds. A sure show winner. Sdlg. BB156D: Black Y165B: (Black V159K, Pleasure's All Mine sib x Friendly Advice) X Black Z145H: (Black V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

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

HIDDEN FEATURE (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm)
Spicy fragrance. At first glance, Hidden Feature appears to be a glaciata, but don’t be deceived. The sun-sensitive anthocyanin (blue/purple pigment) on the fall reverse is activated by exposure to the sun. It is the reason for the irregular application from petal to petal. Intriguing and unusual, but not a rare occurrence. The pattern is called “celestar”. Larger flowers boldly call from a long distance. Sdlg. AA93A: Hey Look Me Over X Black Y76A: (Black U53G, Rise Like A Phoenix sib x Black U20D, Easy As Pie sib)

GOLD JEWELRY (P. Black '25)
BB Midseason-late 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
A master craftsman created this bit of perfection. Perfectly formed ruffled flowers, perfect BB proportion, perfectly branched and budded stalks, and strong growth make this a primo selection. Flowers are deep gold with marigold beards that can be seen from across the garden.
Sdlg. CC127B: Spiced Apples X Z145I: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

BODACIOUS BEARD (P. Black '25)
BB Midseason-late 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
There is no ignoring this exceptionally nice creation. Its big bushy mid marigold beards demand you stop and look. Standards and narrow band on white falls are mid gold. Perfectly proportioned show stalks have three branches and 9-10 buds. Near perfection. Exciting parentage.
Sdlg. CC127D: Spiced Apples X Z145I: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

DAINTY BRIDE (P. Black '25)
SDB Late-very late 14” (35.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
It is another of my late blooming, multiple budded and branched SDBs. The flowers are a miniaturized version of Bride’s Halo. White flowers have narrow light yellow bands. Show stalks have three branches and 8-9 buds. Unheard of for a SDB. From two of my favorite varieties.
Sdlg. CC151F: Silver Ice X First Lady Of Spring

DARK EYED LASS (P. Black '25)
SDB Early-midseason 10” (25.5cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Here it is, the one many of you have been asking about since I first posted its picture on FB. I’m also in love with it. It is one of those irises where everything works together to make a stunning creation. Light yellow standard centers blend to wide stark white bands. Irregularly edged big brown-black fall spots transition to wide white bands, including a white dart up their distal center. A nest of white darts encircles white beards. OH MY!
Sdlg. DD163A: BB248A, Touch Of Turquoise sib X Zaa Zaa Zing

VARIATION ON A THEME (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
This theme includes several medians and I. aphylla in the parentage. I’m excited when I can add more diversity in a cross. As I like to say, “More is more.” The blending, shades, and patterning of blue bring to mind the ever-changing skies. Standards are mid-dark blue blending to mid-light blue toward edges. Inky dark blue falls blend to wide light blue bands. Two-toned beards are a fun accent. Moderately sized flowers are carried on three branches having 9-10 buds.
Sdlg. BB161E: Y170C, Stardust Evening sib X Z145H: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

BOUNCING BLUE BETTY (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
I’ll leave it to you to figure out which Betty and where the bounce is. Is it in her footsteps? She is elegantly appealing. Ruffled icy white standards echo the interesting white falls that are delicately washed pale blue to several shades darker toward their edges. Statuesque stalks can have 4 branches with 11-12 buds. Put some bounce in your garden.
Sdlg. CC76A: Z40B: (V67A: (R72A: (Fancy Dog x M80CC: (First Page x Man About Town)) x Blueberry Parfait) x V191D: (R174B: (Frontline x Bluebird Of Happiness) x Dancing Star)) X X1A: (Adriatic Waves x All Ashore)