CURLY FRIES (Thomas Johnson ’22)
SDB Early 11” (28cm)
Sweet fragrance. Yellow standards. Falls have a white ground with yellow hafts and wide band. Maroon lines radiate out across the hafts and below the beard forming a pattern. The cross that produced Curly Fries was made note only for color but form. Both parents are known to transmit a nice ruffled form to its children so it seemed like a perfect marriage. Really beautiful ruffles and a bright orange beard. Very cool looking.
Sdlg TK268D: Unwritten X Alaia.

PARTY ON (Thomas Johnson ’22)
SDB Midseason-Late 12” (31cm)
Sweet fragrance. Orange standards. Falls have a light creamy orange ground heavily overlaid deep maroon except for a lined lighter area below the brilliant tangerine beard. Hafts are also touched orange. Sharp and clean pattern.
Sdlg TL256C: Tuned In X Alaia.

LIFE LESSON (Thomas Johnson ’22)
SDB Midseason 12” (31cm)
Sweet fragrance. Deep canary yellow standards with heavy red violet plicata dotted edge and midrib. Falls have heavily violet dotted hafts and a blush of yellow. Below the beard is a large creamy yellow ground with light violet lines that fork and branch to the distal end. Wonderful pattern.
Sdlg TL251B: Unwritten X Bazinga.

TALKING BACK (T. Johnson ’22)
MDB Early 7” (17.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Brilliant gold standards with a few random burgundy spots near the edge. Falls are light yellow with a lighter cream area below the beard. There is a pattern of darker gold at the hafts and on the edge that is in turn overlaid with burgundy stripes and dots. Short burgundy lines randomly jut out below the neon tangerine beard. Neon colors!!
Sdlg TK269G: Unwritten X ((sib to Brash and Sassy x Gottcha Good) x Valedictorian)

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT (Thomas Johnson ’22)
TB Midseason 36” (91cm)
Slight fragrance. Rich butter yellow standards. Falls have a light creamy yellow base that is a near solid patch in center becoming a lined and rayed pattern that is overlaid mid to deep violet, then the petals are etched light yellow with a purple wire rim. Nicely ruffled and pleated flowers are extremely bright and showy. Quite a unique application of color and pattern. Lovely show stems and good bud count assure it to be a contender on the show bench. A favorite since its maiden bloom.
Sdlg TK170A: Dressed To The Nines X Disco Lights.

FLAME STITCH (Thomas Johnson ’22)
TB Midseason 36” (91cm)
Sweet fragrance. Brilliant golden yellow standards are edged with a unique rust veined pattern. Rich and plush mahogany red falls have a yellow central sunburst pattern with red lines radiating throughout. Strong growth with nice show stalks carrying 8 or more buds. Quite a dramatic looking iris in the field.
Sdlg TK184: ((Reckless Abandon) x Stole The Show) X ((( Blyth S292: Catwalk x (Chestnuts Roasting) x Blyth S278A: (Dragon Dance sib x Strawberry Spy))) x Reckless Abandon))

SOMEBODY TO LOVE (T. Johnson ’22)
TB Late 34” (86cm)
Sweet fragrance. Bluish pink standards and edge on icy blue white falls. Big, bushy, frosted light blue beards add to the attraction. Nice wide form on heavily ruffled and ever so slightly laced flowers. The coloring is somewhat similar to last year’s introduction, Eyes Of An Angel. Someone To Love is more of a blue pink in color and the beards are larger. They are definitely different in the garden and have different parental heritage. Both are a great advancement in the blue bearded pink breeding lines.
Sdlg TJ135A: TD10C: (Parisian Dawn x Material Girl) X Fashion Week sib.

TURN BACK TIME (T. Johnson ’22)
TB Midseason 40” (102cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards have a cream ground that is almost completely overlaid with gold and a crystalline white petal edge. Falls are white with a lilac blue plicata band and dotted bar on either side of the beard. I simply love this iris. The color combination is so unique and carries the wow factor when in flower. Tall well branched stalks beckon to you from across the garden.
Sdlg TK101A: (Petticoat Shuffle x (sib to Hysteria x Danger Money)) X Beautician

YOU CAN JIVE (T. Johnson ’22)
TB Late 38” (97cm)
Sweet fragrance. Canary yellow standards. Falls are light lavender blue below the beard becoming lighter towards the edge. The hafts are touched yellow and there is a light yellow band that surrounds the fall. You Can Jive produces quality show stems with 10 or more buds, grows with strong vigor, and blooms profusely. In fact it puts on such a show that I simply have to stop to admire it each day when it is in flower. Uniqueness can be determined not only by color or pattern but garden performance and this one certainly does that.
Sdlg TJ116C: sister to Mystery Lady from the 2021 lineup.

ALGORITHM (Paul Black '22)
SDB Early-Midseason 13” (33cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Paler fall centers of icy blue white flowers have fine brassy olive lines precisely surrounded on each side with lighter tan shadows. The look is captivating and as far as I know, it is the first instance of this sort of pattern.
Sdlg. AA199C: Lucky X Mini Mouse

DOTTING EVERY EYE (Paul Black '22)
AB (OGB-) Midseason-Late 22” (56cm)
No fragrance This is one of the rare instances of an arilbred-median producing a single viable seed. Better yet, the pollen parent is a reblooming TB. Yellow styles peer from inside globular white standards. Cinnamon lines and dots cover yellow falls and finished with a darker cinnamon signal. Two branches and 4-5 buds. Limited fertility.
Sdlg. V351A: Brash and Bold X Black S142BR, Triple Dip sib

SASSY LI’L BRAT (Paul Black 22)
IB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Slight musky fragrance. Loud and an unabashed extrovert. Wide mid burgundy bands turn to heavy sanding over buff centered standards. Zingy yellow plicata veins show through dark red burgundy sanded and lined overlay changing to solid bands. Orange ochre beards have the last say. Superb show stalks have three branches and 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Z169B: Cat Tales X New Release

WISE GUY (P. Black '22)
SDB Midseason-Late 12” (30cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Wait for the punchline. There it is, the big searing orange beards. Pale yellow standards surround mid yellow styles. Light yellow falls have shaded darker yellow spots with darker widely spaced light brown veins and narrow tan-yellow band around them. Very pretty and unique.
Sdlg. Kisses X Lottery

ADRENALINE JUNKIE (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 30” (76cm)
No fragrance. These early bright blooming clumps will get you pumped up for the coming bloom season. Peach pink standards blend to buttery peach margins. Mid peach falls blend darker toward edges and have widely spaced dark purple veins overall. Fat vivid orange beards keep your heart pounding. Myriads of show stalks have 3 branches and 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Z43W: Will You Be Mine X V78A: (R76D: (Opening Number x M29DD: (Ransom Note x What’s My Line)) x R108B: (N121AA: (City of Gold x Snowed In) x One of a Kind))

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

CROCODILE SMILE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance If I could have only one of my plicatas to breed with, it would be this one. Its genetic diversity, including several instances of ‘Dolce’ plus SDBs, IBs, tet MTBs, BBs and TBs, has given rise to unique colors and patterns in addition to solid growth. White ground standards are washed pale mustard becoming darker toward edges then embellished with darker mustard fine veining overall and white edges. Yellow styles are held within strongly held standards. Expansive white ground falls are widely plicata banded dark olive gold with more olive random dotting and line down centers, over centers and haft. Unique olive gold beards complete this unusual creature. Three branches have 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Y55A: Black U14A, Drag Race pod parent X Black W191A, Black Label pollen parent

GIRLS WANNA HAVE FUN (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Combinations of the plicata pattern with other patterns have created a seemingly never ending universe of new and unique patterns and colors. One of those is a butterfly type design where a luminata patch would be. There will be many variations of these to come. This one has mid pink standards with subtle darker rose lines and outer edge. Velvety dark purple-black falls have white darted chevon haft patches overlaid with near black lines sandwiched between purple sanded veins in a modified butterfly pattern. Coral beards enhance its uniqueness. Clumps are gloriously filled with an abundance of stalks having 3 branches and 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. Z88W: Dearest X Black U53X, Rise Like a Phoenix sib

GOAT RODEO (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Many early blooming plicatas were a disaster in colder climates because of their related early growth. ‘Goat Rodeo’ is another from my lines to produce later blooming, cold hardy and vigorous plicatas. Dark wine standards show a small central patch of white ground. Pale yellow ground falls are widely banded dark brownish wine with hafts more heavily sanded dark brown. Marigold beards are just the right pop of accent color. Strong growth produces stalks with 3 branches and 8-10 buds.
Sdlg. Z74F: Black V127H, Plum Frost sib X Steal Your Heart

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

HAPPY PLACE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 14” (36cm)
Slight fragrance. Happy Place got its name based on its cheery nature. It is just such a happy iris that makes me smile. Brilliant canary yellow self with a white line extending below the large bushy white beards. The falls are slightly darker yellow in the center. Very bright and a favorite. Sdlg. TK283A: Hit The Jackpot pod parent X Ribbit pollen parent.