REST OF THE STORY (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm)
Slight fragrance. Deep lavender blue standards are touched pink at the top. Falls are a clean lavender white with a precise pink band and haft. A nice start towards a pink and blue reverse bicolor. Lovely form, good stems, and strong growth make this a garden favorite. Sdlg TL89YY: Highly Classified X Easy On The Eyes

NEVER NEVER LAND (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. ‘Me And My Shadow’ has been an excellent parent. I am excited about the possibilities of using Never Never Land in plicata breeding since it is half plicata. Its vivid red-orange beards will be a wonderful bold addition when transferred to plicatas. Superior garden traits make it a great garden subject. Standards are light blue with a tan wire rim. Falls are velvety purple black with a narrow purple band. A touch of light apricot in the center accentuates the bold red-orange beards. Sdlg. BB164D: Daffy Duck X Me And My Shadow

BEAUTIFUL MIND (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are a very light creamy yellow with a deep golden yellow center. Falls are creamy white with a nice lavender to violet band. The hafts are also touched a bit with lemon. This strong grower has excellent form and stems with lots of buds. It has been used extensively in hybridizing and has proven to be a quality parent. A standout iris!
Sdlg. TN232ZZ: Coat Of Many Colors X Just Wanting Attention

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
White standards have a touch of lemon at the base. Falls are maroon to red with a white rim, and a light yellow area around the beard. The flowers are heavily ruffled. A TB that is a little on the shorter side, for the front of the border, and certainly one for those who love ruffles.
Sdlg. TN214C: TK143A: (Down In Mexico x TG428A: (unknown x unknown)) X Honor Roll

CORAL CHIPS (L. Miller ’25)
SDB Early-midseason 10” (25.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Gorgeous coral to orange with pinker style arms and a touch of yellow at the hafts. Beards are brilliant coral to orange. Lovely color and form with three buds.
Sdlg. 2420C: 1918A: (Lovable Pink x 1514A: (6412A, lost cross x 310: (Fairy Jester x Pink Potion))) X 3515: (1411A: (Sun Spirit x Coral Caper) x 1411C: (Sun Spirit x Coral Caper))

GRACIOUS SMILE (L. Miller ’25)
BB SA Early-midseason 27” (68.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Pink standards rise above white falls with a wide washed purple band and haft touched pink. Tangerine beards have purple flounces with dark pink edges.
Sdlg. 818B: All Rise X All Rise sib

DARK EYED LASS (P. Black '25)
SDB Early-midseason 10” (25.5cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Here it is, the one many of you have been asking about since I first posted its picture on FB. I’m also in love with it. It is one of those irises where everything works together to make a stunning creation. Light yellow standard centers blend to wide stark white bands. Irregularly edged big brown-black fall spots transition to wide white bands, including a white dart up their distal center. A nest of white darts encircles white beards. OH MY!
Sdlg. DD163A: BB248A, Touch Of Turquoise sib X Zaa Zaa Zing

ANTI HERO (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
An absolutely stunning flower with very wide overlapping hafts and exuberant ruffles. The color of the standards is a very complex blending of orange, light orange, pink, and lavender tones. Falls are creamy white with peach touched hafts and a wide lilac to lavender band. Anti Hero is also blessed with nicely branched and budded stems, making her a winner on the show bench as well. Sdlg. TO187B: Just Between Us X unknown seedling number, illegible tag

AT FIRST LIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Sweet fragrance.
Sky blue standards have a deep reddish violet central wash. Falls are creamy white with slightly gold-touched hafts and a wide gold band. Well formed, ruffled, budded, and branched, At First Light comes from a very good cross that produced many introduction-worthy children. Sdlg. TN27EE: Artificial Intelligence sibling

CLOSING CEREMONY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason late-very late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
The name kind of tells you the story. It starts flowering with the midseason varieties, and continues through until the very end of the iris bloom season. Very rich pink standards repeat themselves in a soft band on white falls. Big showy powder blue beards certainly add a touch of class. Very nice form with good bud count and stems. A true delight to look at, it is a favorite for sure! Sdlg. TO160A: Somebody To Love X TK109ZZ: (TG52CC: (Uptown Lady x Don’t Stop Believing) x Slice Of Heaven)

CLASSIC JEWEL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Early-midseason-late 13” (33cm) Slight fragrance.
The faintest of pink petals are a touch darker in the standards and the hafts. Beards are large and powder blue. From a distance, it looks white with a powder blue beard. Stunning! Sdlg. TO103B: My Sweetness X Five And Dime

AMERICAN ADVENTURE (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 33” (84cm) No fragrance.
Rich, dramatic, and luxuriously ruffled, American Adventure makes a bold statement in the spring garden. The deep inky purple plicata markings over the muted white center of the standards contrast with the chalky white falls, which have a light purple fancy plicata wash that deepens to near black edges. Blooms are heavily textured and graced with artful rippling. Vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches plus spur and branch spur, giving a superb 10-11 buds. Dark stalks and mid purple spathes add an artistic touch. Sdlg. DD20A: Y14E, Bespoke sibling X Awash In Purple

PURPLE PLEASURE (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
An abundance of ruffles and frills on a classically formed flower ramp up its visual pleasure. The clean mid violet color of the standards is repeated in a wide band around the velvety dark purple falls, which also have dark plum hafts. Light grayed tan to pale blue beards are an interesting touch. Lovely show stalks have 3 branches and 9-10 buds. Note the blue and pink parentage. Sdlg. DD22C: Adrift At Sea X Black BB86E: (Bubbly Beauty x For Lovers Only)

TWINKLING EYES (Paul Black 26)
SDB Midseason-late 11” (28cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This sibling of ‘Dark Eyed Lass’ is similar, but adds warming light gold hafts and indigo shadings around the big near-black spots on widely banded white falls. White standards dance above its dramatically colored falls. Big fluffy yellow to white bi-color beards are a joyful accent. Sdlg. DD163B: BB248B, Touch Of Turquoise sibling X Zaa Zaa Zing

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

LOVER’S TOUCH (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards have a medium blue pink center becoming lighter towards the edge. Falls are lavender white with a dotted blue lavender plicata edge with pink undertones. Beards are a mixture of orange, lavender and white, adding another dimension in this very pleasing and warm color combination. Really a very beautiful and elegant iris, that has lots of buds on nice show stems. Parentage is unknown.

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

READY FOR DESSERT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Perhaps I think about food too much, but I certainly think of dessert when I see this iris! It is the most yummy combination of colors, accentuated by heavy ruffles and lace. Truly a stunning iris! Flesh pink standards are a deeper shade in the center. Falls are white, with a very wide, ruffled, and laced medium orchid band. A touch of pink at the hafts on either side of the soft coral and white beard add perfectly to the elegance. A perennial favorite every year since its maiden bloom. Sdlg. TO187L: Anti Hero sibling

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

WATCHFUL EYE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light lavender white standards have dark lemon centers and a light lemon touched edge. Falls are a light lavender white with a deep rust haft and a deep violet black flash below the beard. Quite a stunner of an iris, and one that has been much loved in the garden. Tall, well branched and budded stems make it a contender for best in show on the show bench. Sdlg. TN180F: Are You Kidding Me and Looking Like That sibling