BYZANTINE ROMANCE (Paul Black '22
AB (OGB-) Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
No fragrance Stalks with two branches have six buds. Simple pale lilac flowers have darker orchid signals and are accented with showy light marigold beards.
Sdlg. Byzantine Ruby X Black V183C: (Grace and Charm x Black P92B: (Lady of the Night x Paul Black)

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL (Paul Black '22)
MTB Midseason-Late 24” (61cm)
No fragrance It’s vivid magenta cloak with vivid tangerine beards might lead you astray. Be careful. Nicely branched and budded stalks are tinted purple.
Sdlg. AA159A: Flirtin’ Skirts X Black Y192A: (Black U68B: (Date with Destiny x Unknown) x Night Spirit) tetraploid

DING-A-LING (Paul Black '22)
IB Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance This purple and white plicata with darker wine hafts is perfection of flower size, form and proportion of stalk which has 2-3 branches and 8-10 buds. Showy clumps.
Sdlg. AA277C: Midnight Velvet X Lap of Luxury

LATE NIGHT KISS (Paul Black '22)
IB Midseason-Late 22” (56cm)
Slight musky fragrance. Need a little dramatic passion? ‘Late Night Kiss’ generates loads. Just a bit of cream ground shows on these dark beetroot standards with interior being cream with dark beetroot plicata bands. White to cream falls have very dark beetroot plicata bands. Hafts have widely spaced black veins and dart at ends of black-brown beards. Compact heavily ruffled flowers show beautifully on stalks with 2 branches and spur.
Sdlg. Z167D: Black U194G, Peppito sib X Cat Tales

STARRY STARRY NIGHT (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance It is a night you’ll long remember. Classically formed, ruffled and lightly laced purple black flowers have standards with white sanded veins over their centers that show their plicata heritage. White fall hafts have closely spaced purple black lines and sanded veins transitioning to velvety purple black falls. Butterscotch beards turn to white climaxing in a white shooting star dart for a dramatic accent. It has a stunning presence even before opening. Bud reverses have chartreuse haft centers streaking into white center bands then white veins streaking into dark purple outer bands. It is an awesome look. Sturdy growth produces 4 well-spaced branches but only 7 buds. As if this wasn’t enough, it has been a mystery progenitor of many broken color plicatas. There is nothing in the parentage to suggest this trait. I’m still exploring its potential. In one cross, about a third of the seedlings looked like it, a third were standard plicata types and a third were broken color plicatas. There is much to be explored!
Sdlg. Y161A: Me and My Shadow X Black V159B, Pleasure’s All Mine sib

BAD HABITS (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Rich royal purple standards over purple to near black falls. Beards are a burnt orange with yellow hair tips. Quite a beautiful iris in our continuing quest for a nice ruffled and laced yellow bearded black or purple bitone. Very pretty! Sdlg. TM94B: Own The Night X Heat Of The Moment

COSMIC MYSTERY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. White ground standards are almost completely overlaid gold. The midrib is flushed violet. Falls are white with a deep velvet red band. There is medium red violet dotted band inside the darker band. Nicely ruffled flowers on a very bright and pleasing color combination. A nice classically ruffled form completes the look. Sdlg. TL213G: (Say It Right x Marry The Night sib) X (Marry The Night sib x pod parent of Be Not Afraid).

HERE COMES TROUBLE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Dark burgundy-maroon standards are edged with a wide gold band. Falls are a deep beetroot red to near black with a narrow gold edge. The central white luminata patch has gold touched hafts on both sides. Heavily ruffled flowers are a delight to behold. Here Comes Trouble is a strong grower with fast increase and a prolific bloomer. She has been very popular with garden visitors. Sdlg. TK51VV: Fancy Ideas X TG173B: (Song Of Silence x TC174D: (Midnight Velvet pod parent x TY10AA: (High Master x Double Click))).

NIGHT DANCER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards have medium rose pink centers and a flesh pink edge. Falls are a rich purple with a near black purple haft. Even the beard is dark being purple with burnt orange hair tips giving it a bit of a gothic look. I love pink and purple combinations although they are not that common. A very pretty iris. Sdlg. TL184E: Born To Party sib.

RUNNING IN CIRCLES (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. One of our favorite intros for this year and that is saying a lot with its competition and the fact that it is a plicata. The color on this is hard to convey in a picture as the presence it has in the garden. It is simply spectacular in clump with its extremely bright color and sharp pattern. Standards are icy white with a near solid overlay of blue lilac. The falls are white with a blue haft, center dart below beard, and band. Even the beard is tipped in blue. Gorgeous, wide, and ruffled form make it irresistible. Running In Circles has also been admired by garden visitors. Recommended! you won’t be sorry! Sdlg. TL180G: ((Ink Patterns x pollen parent of Counting Stars) X (pod parent of Say It Right x Marry The Night sib))

TAKE A LOOK (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. Dark ruby red standards and edge on black cherry falls. Smoldering orange to near red beards. Large flowers on beautiful ruffled form. A very gorgeous iris. Sdlg. TM75C: Night Whispers X Own The Night.

COVER OF NIGHT (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This exciting variety is a clandestine exploration of what takes place at night. Standards have dark violet blue elliptical centers blending to wide dark purple bands underlaid with black veins. Halfmoon white fall centers on black falls are veined overall purple black. Mid gold beards glow in the darkness. White dotted rims encircle these dark beauties. Three branches have 8-9 buds. This cross yielded many superb seedlings to choose from. Sdlg. AA73J, How Bizarre! sib

LIGHT THE NIGHT (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
slight spicy fragrance Beaming out of the night is a bright flash of light. Sparse white lines creep up the midribs of dark red-purple standards. Velvety red-black falls are accented with short white rays alongside beards and longer dart at the end of white beards overlaid tan gold. Three branches provide 8-9 buds. Possible parent for rebloom via ‘Part Two’. Beautiful garden presence. Sdlg. AA78J: Part Two X Starry Starry Night

MISPLACED DOTS (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 42” (107cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Other crosses using ‘Starry Starry Night’ have yielded more startling broken color plicatas. Plic markings on ‘Misplaced Dots’ are quite variable but the overall look is a traditional violet blue plicata. In breeding it has both the possibility of rebloom and broken color plics. Mid violet blue standards have slightly darker edge stitching and white plic centers. Styles are dark violet blue. Narrow mid violet blue plic bands encircle white falls with centers heavily and randomly dotted mid violet blue. Super tall stalks have 3-4 branches plus spur and 9-11 buds. Moderately sized blooms and stalks that flex help keep stalks upright in the wind. Sdlg. AA78A, Light the Night sib

SPARKLE AND SHINE (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 31” (79cm)
Slight sweet fragrance What an impressive clump this one makes in the garden. Stark white standards dance above strongly flared warmer white falls that become wide mottled and washed mid violet bands. Fiery orange beards demand you come in for a closer look. The bloom keeps on going and going with 4 branches and 10-11 buds. Sdlg. AA63A: Color Wheel X Black Y126 caramel sib: (You Belong to Me x Black Y61B, Creature of the Night sib)

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION (Paul Black 23)
IB Early-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance I think without a doubt this is the finest of the black and white plicata IBs. Centers of iridescent purple-black standards reveal just a bit of white plic ground. White falls have wide black plic bands with purple interior markings. Show stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. Vigorous growth and increase. Stunning clumps. It is fertile. Sdlg. AA277A: Midnight Velvet X Lap of Luxury

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.

AT LARGE (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 38” (97cm)
Slight fragrance. White ground standards are sanded all over with light golden yellow dotting. Falls are white with a light lilac dotted band. There is a red violet haft that spreads across the falls on either side of the burnt orange beards. At Large is so named because the flowers are immense and carried on strong wide candelabra branched stems. Quite impressive! Sdlg. TL166YY: Beautician sibling X (Marry The Night sibling x TD314ZZ: (Blyth O211-A: (L94-1: (Ostentatious x G48-5: (Burst x Epicenter)) x L266-1: (G48-5 x Zestful Miss)) x Blyth R41-6, Stay Stylish pollen parent sibling))

BURNING QUESTION (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. Dark wine-red standards have a bit of a bluish cast to them. Falls are a rich deep burgundy with a mustard yellow beard. Nicely ruffled and branched. Sdlg. TM94ZZ: Own The Night X Night Whispers

CAN’T BE DENIED (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm)
Sweet fragrance. Deep purple black standards sit atop black falls with a lighter rim and smoldering orange beards. This is a pattern we continue to work on for depth of color, ruffles, and lace. Can’t Be Denied is another step in that direction and is quite dramatic. The heavily ruffled and well-formed flowers are gorgeous. Sdlg. TM75A: Night Whispers X Own The Night