COME FLY WITH ME (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 34” (86.5cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Standards are mid blue veined darker blue. Here is where it gets interesting to describe. Falls are the same as standards except a bit grayed, but with contrasting rich walnut brown hafts. Gilt gold rims widen to narrow light gray bands. Its uniqueness draws one back again and again for a closer look. It is a strong grower, with 2 branches plus spur and 6-7 buds.
Sdlg. BB112N: Y69B: (Jungle Mist x W2A: (Beauty Becomes Her x U1B, Luxuriant sib)) X X135A: (U50A: (After The Rain x S110D: (Blue Trill x N193A, Blue Trill sib)) x U59A: (After The Rain x Black Is Black))

BALLROOM GOWN (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
It is difficult to find the words to describe this one; the picture kind of says it all. Incredible form and with heavy substance, this stately luminata is characterized with a very wide rim on the standards. Intensely ruffled falls have a huge showy central luminata patch. At 39 inches, it is very tall for this pattern, which has tended to be on the shorter side. Show stems that can carry up to three branches, and spurs even on the branches, provide lots of buds for an extended bloom season. We have used this one heavily in our hybridizing program, putting it right at the top of our favorites list. Sdlg. TN21XX: Affair to Remember X Gone Viral

COSMIC (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 33” (84cm) Sweet fragrance.
Some iris have such a complex coloration that it is hard to describe. To make matters more difficult, the shade of purple in Cosmic can be different from day to day, and from year to year. We struggled to figure out which picture to use for the catalogue, and have included several shots on the website for you to see for yourself. No matter what the shade, Cosmic is a blooming fool, absolutely covering itself in bloom, and is intensely bright, with its very wide gold band in the standards, and yellow flash overlaying the white luminata patch on the falls. Sdlg. TO148A: Gone Viral X unknown

DANCE FESTIVAL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Lines, lines, and more lines! I have been working with this pattern for a number of years and have gotten some very interesting things. If I were to choose just one word to describe this, it would be floriferous! It completely covers itself in tall, well branched and budded stems, and blooms for a long time. It is not the first to start blooming, but about midway through the early season it starts, and goes and goes. The picture kind of speaks for itself. Check out the additional pictures of it, including clump shots. Sdlg. TN171ZZ Open Heart X Leave Me Breathless

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

HAD A PLAN (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Near white standards have a clear light pink central infusion up the midrib. Falls are a very clean and clear pink with a lighter area below the coral orange beards. Tall, well branched and budded, and a real garden showoff. Not a true pink amoena, but certainly gives the effect of such. Sdlg. TO216B: TK213XX, Under The Harvest Moon sibling X TM14A, Wedding Planner sibling

SCATTERSHOT DOTS (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Here’s another in the limited realm of the strange broken color plicatas. Each flower is patterned differently. Typically marked standards have a light buttercream ground with a dark charcoal-purple wide rib, heavily plicata-sanded center, and wide band. White falls have light yellow variably-sized hafts, irregular broken color segments of wine to purple dotting and sanding, and a narrow dark wine plicata band. Sdlg. EE25A: Black AA84W, Make Up Your Mind X Wild About You

MEET IN THE MIDDLE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
White standards are infused medium yellow up the midrib. Falls are white with a wide lavender dotted plicata band. Hafts are a dark red violet. Every flower has a deep violet dotted center line that varies from one flower to the next. Beautiful wide and ruffled form with gorgeous stems. We have used Meet In The Middle a lot in hybridizing, with fantastic results. Sdlg. TO229B: Road Not Taken X Tenacity

PRETTY MUCH IT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Plicatas are such an interesting and fun group because of the variability that you can get. In general terms, one would describe this as a purple plicata, but Pretty Much It is so much more than that! Standards are white with a green flush up the midrib. Falls are pristine white, with a narrow stitched violet edge, and then a deeper violet wire rim. Hafts are touched deep red violet, and there is a small violet dart below the beard. Even the beard is a strange blend of orange and white. Upon closer inspection and as the flower ages a bit, the standards open slightly to show the gorgeous contrasting deep gold style crests from inside. The flowers are large and extremely wide and ruffled. Stems are tall, well branched and balanced, and display the beauty of the pattern perfectly. Sdlg. TO163B: Say It Right X Castle On The Hill

SHOPPING SPREE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Light fragrance.
Bright, bright, and more bright are the best words to describe Shopping Spree. Standards are creamy white, with medium orange centers that transition to yellow orange veins. Falls are the most intense and brilliant shade of orange, with matching beards. Not quite as ruffled as some of the rest, but certainly a garden standout. Sdlg. TM47YY: Heard A Rumor sibling

SPLENDIFEROUS (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Standards are white with a lemon-yellow infusion up the midrib. Falls have a central lemon-yellow spot with a violet washed overlay, and then a very wide, precise, pristine white band. Nice form and stems help to showcase this beautiful pattern. Sdlg. TO172A: Honor Roll X Shadowboxer sibling

THAT’S ABOUT RIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight fragrance.
Light lemon cream standards have the faintest light violet flush up the midrib. Falls are a deep rich purple to violet, with a narrow lighter edge. Beards are complex brown with white tips. A gorgeous and clean bicolor, That’s About Right has strong growth and lots of buds. Sdlg. TN172ZZ: Smashing Sensation X Private Party

WANNA DANCE WITH YOU (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Light sweet fragrance.
Golden yellow standards have a greenish cast to them up the midrib. Falls are a full deep lavender blue-violet, with darker rosy hafts that are touched lemon and a reddish-brown band. Flowers are very large, ruffled and wide. Nice stems and good bud count ensure a long bloom season. Very pretty indeed. Sdlg. TN172A: That’s About Right sibling