TAKE MY HAND (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm)
Light fragrance. Icy white standards are flushed and veined pink in the center. Falls are orange with an overall wash of salmon-rose and slightly deeper veins. Nicely formed and branched stems move us another step forward in this color pattern. Sdlg. TL219ZZ, Power And Prestige sibling: (Barbara Rider x Arrivederci) X Shockaholic

WE ARE MAGIC (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet Fragrance. Pink standards over violet falls with lighter pink rays radiating out from around the coral pink beard. A light lavender pink band on the falls frames the picture. Color can be a bit variable from one year to the next. Some years the whole pattern is much lighter, but either way it is still a garden favorite. Sdlg. TL154WW: Dressed To The Nines X Bombshell

BURST OF INSPIRATION (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are creamy white with pinkish centers. Falls are wide and ruffled with a deep violet purple center wash that transitions to a very wide lavender band. Its striking pattern is displayed on nicely branched and budded stems. A nice clean and sharp addition to the rimmed pattern.
Sdlg. TL195C: Bombshell X TI83A, Taboo sib: (TC304C: (Blyth O189-1: (Sirocco Mist x Dinner Talk) x Carnival Capers) x Twilight Rhapsody)

HEARD A RUMOR (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
I have been working with Shockaholic as a parent, trying to put a really nice stem on intensely colored patterns involving orange. This one certainly makes the mark. Standards have pink centers that transition to peach. Falls are a vibrant medium orange. Great stems carry nicely ruffled and very elegant flowers. Such a lovely medley of colors!
Sdlg. TM47ZZ: Peach Shake X Shockaholic

WAIT FOR IT (T. Johnson ’25)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Slight fragrance.
Flesh pink standards rise above cream falls with a peach pink haft bar on either side of the large frosted blue beard. Gorgeous classic form on a stunning color pattern. A favorite!
Sdlg. TO106B: Five And Dime X My Sweetness

RARE GEM (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Mauve pink standards rise above mauve and lavender pink blended falls with lighter centers. There is texture veining that juts out from around the deep lavender purple beard. Gorgeous ruffled and wide form showcases the pattern. Nice stems and buds as well. Quite a striking iris.
Sdlg. TJ149ZZ: TF6E: (Secret Affair x Haunted Heart) X TD70C, Poem Of Love sib: (Fine Romance x Rite Of Passage)

WITCHES STITCHES (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 32” (81.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Glinda the Good Witch put her magic to work and created this enchanted plicata that has only a stitched band around the falls. Usually there is another color, sanding, or plicata marks. Standards are white with light violet-blue stitched plicata bands, but with lighter violet-blue shading in between. Falls are white with wide dark violet stitched plicata bands. Widely spaced greenish texture veins traverse the center. Stalks have three branches and 9-11 buds.
Sdlg. BB113B: Y79A: (V6B: (Ink Patterns x S91A, Raindrops Keep Falling sib) x W215K, Meditation Garden pollen parent sib) X Bespoke

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))

BEATEN TO THE PUNCH (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Very early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Very light lemon standards with a violet flush at the base sit atop a very complex patterned fall; its lavender base color is overlaid with a deep violet brindled wash, then bordered in a buff pink band. Beards are a very weird brown to black. The whole package is quite dramatic and intriguing; it always draws me in from across the garden for a closer look. Beaten To The Punch is one of the first to start to bloom, and is held on tall, well branched and budded stems. Beautiful. Sdlg. TN89YY: Stitches sibling X Hit The Bullseye 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

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

GOING CONCERN (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Another iris with a distinctive and complicated color scheme. Standards are very light yellow, with deeper lemon and pink blended centers, and lighter edge with lemon veins. Falls have a large yellow sunburst pattern in the center, becoming a very pronounced deep burgundy, and then bordered with a precise wide lavender blue band. A very striking and unique flower, it makes a startling clump. Sdlg. TN232YY: Beautiful Mind sibling

CAROUSEL RIDE (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
This ride gives striking, high-contrast colors with exceptional pattern and texture. Standards rise in softly ruffled layers of warm rosy mauve delicately plicata-stitched mid grayed mauve. Broad falls open creamy white, dramatically etched and feathered in deep grape-purple, concentrating along the margins and radiating inward in fine lines for a bold, artistic effect. Bright orange beards add a vivid spark. Vigorous plants produce show stalks having 4 branches plus spur and a branch spur giving 11-12 buds. Sdlg. DD51A: Girls Wanna Have Fun X BB149C, Princess Pretty Pink sibling

MARDI GRAS MASK (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Standards are lavender with a blended pink and orange center that extends out to the edge as veining. Falls are rich blue lavender with a deep inky purple diffused signal. Beards are a stunning mixture of orange and purple, giving the appearance of brown. A very wildly patterned iris that is an easy grower, with buds and branching galore. Sdlg. TO237B: For The Ages X Open Flame sibling

SUNSHINE HEART (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Brilliant golden yellow standards rise above falls with a golden yellow center and a reddish violet overlay wash below the beard. The overlay becomes a deep reddish violet band, with a lighter rosy pink narrow edge. Lots going on in this flower for sure. Patterned iris like this one are so fun, in that the longer you look at them the more complex you realize the color scheme is. Sunshine Heart is an easy grower, and flowers heavily on nicely branched and budded stems. Sdlg. TN115YY: Diamond Heart X Dare To Be Different