RAZZLE DAZZLE ME (P. Black '25)
TB Late-very late 31” (78.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Can one possibly get more color on an iris? Probably, but this one makes a good run at it. Mid gold standards and styles top wide falls having mid red-purple centers with light grape finely sanded veins. Warm white hafts on each side of beards are heavily sanded and lined dark brown blended to dark black-brown edges. Moderate brassy khaki bands decorate the edges. Its pod parent Hotsy Totsy is an interesting parent for me. Two branches plus spur carry 7 buds.
Sdlg. BB17O: Hotsy Totsy X Bright Within

JUST FOR JACKIE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Jackie is one of my best friends. She has always been a big help by leaving pink post-it notes on seedlings she thinks I should keep. We’ve had many good laughs together. She also insists on helping me plant my iris seeds each fall. Of course I wouldn’t hurt her feelings by saying no. She makes it all fun. She likes brown irises, so for her here is a white and dark red-brown plicata. Note the pronounced lines in the falls. Strong stalks have three branches and 8-9 buds. This is one of many exceptional seedlings coming from Crocodile Smile.
Sdlg. BB106C: Crocodile Smile X Z100D, Background Noise sib

PEACH BERRY JUMBLE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) No fragrance.
The time of broken colored irises with poor form, stalks, buds, and growth is past. Now is the time to put this colorful beauty in your garden. Standards have mid to dark mulberry segments and streaks, and mid to light peach segments and streaks. Falls have a mid peach ground, white around the beards, and mid to dark mulberry segments, streaks, sanding, and dotting. WOW! What a wild and crazy flower. Vigorous growth produces show stalks with three branches and 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. BB117N: Y87A: (V24C, Cockeyed Optimist sib x W144C: (T46C: (Claim To Fame x Advantage) x T52CR: (N134AAR: (Island Coral x K113A: (Throb x I4B: (Blazing Sunrise x C17D, Vibrant sib))) x Advantage))) X Y115B, Breaking Free sib

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

DONE DEAL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Done Deal is one of those iris that has it all: great form, branching, bud count, and vigor. Standards are a pearl white with pink and light salmon blended centers. Falls are a rich lavender with a deep red violet signal around the beard, which becomes a deeper lavender wash throughout the mid-section. We used this one quite a lot in hybridizing for all of its exemplary qualities. Sdlg. TN180ZZ: Are You Kidding Me sibling

EXACTLY RIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Blue purple standards have large rich red plum centers. Falls are a deep blue purple with a red violet brindled wash. Exactly Right has excellent form, with strong substance and very wide and heavily ruffled petals. Really a very gorgeous iris. Sdlg. TN213A: Opulent Affair X Only Imagine sibling

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

DIAMONDS ON VELVET (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) No fragrance.
A tall show-stopping iris with persuasive garden presence. Broad, ruffled, mid navy-blue standards rise above dramatic, expansive, darkest navy falls, etched with fine veining centered around a brooding golden sienna beard that adds striking contrast. Strong upright stems carry the blooms well above purple-based blue-green foliage. Sdlg. DD60B: How Bizarre! X Dot Dash Dot

INNER DESIRE (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81.5cm) No fragrance.
This intensely saturated jewel will captivate your heart. The interior of dark red-grape standards is white with wide plicata banding of mid red-grape. The falls have a mid blue-purple area surrounding mid tangerine beards, that first transitions to a wide, warm white, heavily plicata-marked band, before ending in a wide, rich wine-magenta band. Its unique color will draw you in for a closer look. Well-branched stalks have 4 branches and 7-8 buds. Unusual buds (fall reverse) are greenish cream heavily dotted mid grape. Another wonderful and unique iris coming from ‘Crocodile Smile’. Sdlg. BB107G: Black Y55B, Crocodile Smile sibling X Crocodile Smile

KICK START (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Slight fragrance.
Kick Start is very early; it starts the iris bloom season. Amber to orange standards are held perfectly over amber yellow falls, lighter in the center, with a wide deep rose band. Beards are brilliant tangerine to near red. If you want a stunning floral display with lots of bloom and buds, this iris is for you. Smashing! Sdlg. TO184B: Date Night sibling

ON THE PROWL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
White ground petals have a lavender lilac plicata dotted band and a belly stripe. Hafts are touched with deep red wine rays. Large, fuzzy beards are yellow-orange. This little iris really stands out in a crowd. Sdlg. TN281A: Penny For Your Thoughts sibling X Talking Back

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

PERFECTLY STAGED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light golden yellow standards have a slight violet flush in the center. Falls are a rich and plush deep burgundy to near black, with a defined wide lavender purple band and a thin gold pencil edge. Beards are orange with red tips. The form and stems are very good on this stunning iris, earning it a high recommendation. Sdlg. TO253A: Influencer sibling

PLAY THAT SONG (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are flesh pink with slightly lighter edges. Falls are rich reddish violet with a wide lavender band. The flowers are full, round, and ruffled, and held on nicely branched and budded stems. Pink and purple always seem to go so well together, and this is no exception. Really a very lovely iris that grows and blooms very well. Sdlg. TN98UU: Autumn Tease sibling X Private Party

PUZZLE PIECE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Iris have become such complex beings when it comes to patterns and application of color. The standards are pretty straight forward, being a brilliant golden yellow, but the falls are a bit more complex. There is a large and plush mahogany red signal spot in the center, but things get complicated in the band. There is a large wide band that circles the signal, but instead of it being one consistent color, it starts out as a light lavender and lemon blend at the haft, about half way down transitions to lemon, and finally shows deep gold at the distal end. The standard color reflecting itself at the distal end of the fall draws the eye across the whole flower and creates a very pleasing presentation. Tall, well branched and budded stems help it to compete on the show bench as well. Shockingly bright and beautiful. Sdlg. TN50ZZ: Autumn Tease sibling X Truth Or Dare

ROCKET SCIENCE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Deep golden yellow standards have light lemon to near wide edges. Falls are deep burgundy red, with a wide deep lavender and yellow blended band and center belly stripe. Well branched and budded stems elegantly display the blooms of this showy iris. Sdlg. TN92B: Autumn Tease X Taboo 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

YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Light fragrance.
Light lavender standards have a lighter area with lilac dotting in the center. Deep salmon pink style arms peek out from inside the standards, adding great contrast. Falls are white, with a deep plum purple band and light lavender edge. A deep plum center stripe extends from just below the red-orange beard to the plum band. Another iris that makes a very fine clump and is an easy grower. Sdlg. TO246B: Tenacity X Salmon Springs