LOVE IN THE DARK (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Quite an intensely colored iris. Standards are solid deep oxblood red. Falls are cream with a lemon wash on either side of the beard extending down to the wide red dotted band. Very showy in the fields this last year, making quite a statement at the end of its row.
Sdlg. TM149WW: Raspberry Pie X Flash Mob

IRONIC TWIST (L. Miller ’25)
TB Midseason 38” (96.5cm) No fragrance.
Deep purple standards complement purple black falls highlighted by a lighter veined edge and area around the beard. Up to 10 buds on well branched stems.
Sdlg. 918C: Scattergram X She’s A Bimbo

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

BEATEN TO THE PUNCH (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Very early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Very light lemon standards with a violet flush at the base sit atop a very complex patterned fall; its lavender base color is overlaid with a deep violet brindled wash, then bordered in a buff pink band. Beards are a very weird brown to black. The whole package is quite dramatic and intriguing; it always draws me in from across the garden for a closer look. Beaten To The Punch is one of the first to start to bloom, and is held on tall, well branched and budded stems. Beautiful. Sdlg. TN89YY: Stitches sibling X Hit The Bullseye sibling

CALL TO ATTENTION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
The nice contrasting of this bicolor definitely catches your attention. Medium lemon yellow standards are very clean and clear. Falls are a rich deep burgundy red with a narrow lemon rim. Beautiful, full, round, and ruffled form, with great clarity of color. Sdlg. TM113RR: Distant Shores X Painted Sky

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)

COMPLETE OPPOSITE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
What can we say about this one? Contrast certainly comes to mind! Deep blue purple standards sit atop cinnamon brown falls. Tall stems with lightly ruffled flowers have carrying power out the kazoo! Holy cow, does this one make a statement. It is the iris that garden visitors most often tell me about; it seems to imprint! Certainly unique, and won’t be mistaken for anything else! Stems and branching are good. The flowers are not as wide and ruffled as I usually like, but are certainly adequate. Sdlg. TN13A: Mood Ring X unknown seedling

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

DATE NIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
A superb, perfectly applied pattern! Date Night is a pristine clean white with a very deliberate lilac band on the falls. The brilliant orange beard brings the whole package to life. So elegant, with fantastic form. A very cheerful iris in the garden, it is sure to make you smile. Sdlg. TO184M: Just Curious X TM52: (Casting Call x Bombshell)

DEEP APPRECIATION (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Deep black cherry to black standards show a slight bit of yellow ground in the center. Falls have a white ground with a lemon-yellow wash that is dotted deep black cherry, with a dark bar around the beard and line below the beard. The fall then has a wide black cherry band. It differs from its sister ‘Love In The Dark’ in that Deep Appreciation is near black, whereas the former is a very deep oxblood red. Very stunning! Sdlg. TM149QQ: Love In The Dark sibling

DISCO PARTY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
This beauty certainly reminds me of a wild disco party. Clean medium lemon-yellow standards are the perfect match for the wildly patterned falls. The large canary yellow sunburst center becomes a lavender to maroon wash that is then encircled with a lemon band. Nice, tall, well-branched stems carry the well-formed flowers with pride, screaming look at me! Sdlg. TM141B: Color Wheel X unknown

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

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

POMPOUS PARROT (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This sassy character commands attention with its bold, high-contrast coloring and lavishly ruffled form. Soft, luminous, salmon pink standards, delicately stitched darker, rise above richly saturated near-black purple falls, creating a striking bicolor effect. The falls are accentuated by a radiant white butterfly shoulder, drawing the eye to a glowing orange beard that adds warmth and intensity. Its pod parent provided the genes for its amazing show stalks, which have 5 branches and 16-17 buds. A superb parent. Sdlg. DD51D: Girls Wanna Have Fun X BB149C, Princess Pretty Pink sibling

INFLUENCER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are very light lemon, with a large deep golden yellow center. Falls are rich lavender, with a deep red violet to burgundy diffused spot in the center. Influencer has really lovely form, and the wide and ruffled flowers are displayed on show stems! Another from the ‘pansy face’ line that we love. Sdlg. TO253C: unknown, lost tag

LAUGHING MATTER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
I am not even going to try to describe the colors of Laughing Matter. The pattern is so complex that I couldn’t possibly begin to do it justice in a written description; the photo kind of says it all. An absolutely stunning combination of colors, and one that most certainly will not be mistaken for anything else. Certainly not a pattern for the faint of heart. We love it and hope you will too. Good garden attributes, with nice stems and bud count. Sdlg. TN233ZZ: TK252C, Mood For Love sibling X Simple Magic sibling

LEAD ACTRESS (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
White standards are heavily washed salmon pink in the center, becoming veins moving towards the edge. Noticeable orange style arms peek out between the standards. Falls are shrimp pink with large orange beards. Lead Actress has super strong growth, with show stems that carry lots of buds. Absolutely stunning in a clump. Sdlg. TO144A: Blushing Love X Under The Harvest Moon sibling

LET YOUR LOVE FLOW (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Blue pink standards have lighter pink edges. Falls are the faintest lavender white, deepening slightly before becoming a flesh band. Medium lavender beards are large and bushy. This strong grower has wonderful form and nice stems. Really spectacular! Sdlg. TO154A: Eyes Of An Angel sibling X I Write The Songs

LOOKING LIKE THAT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
This pattern is so clear and matter of fact that I thought it deserved a name that is a strong statement. Looking Like That is bold and beautiful, and creates quite a stir. Standards are complex, with deep lemon centers becoming the lightest lavender, then showing lemon veining at the edge. Falls are rich deep lavender, with a massive deep burgundy signal and yellow orange beards. Fantastic stems that are well branched and held high above the foliage set the stage for quite a show. Sdlg. TN180E: Are You Kidding Me sibling