FEELING SO SMALL (T. Johnson ’25)
MDB Early-midseason 7” (18cm) Slight fragrance.
This iris is truly a little show off! A rust red plicata with a split yellow ground below the large orange beard. Makes an absolutely stunning clump.
Sdlg. TN304A: Zig Zag X Spicy Hot sib

SODALICIOUS (T. Johnson ’25)
IB Early-midseason 26” (66cm) Slight fragrance.
Golden yellow standards rise above deep black cherry red falls with a wide lighter band and orange beards. Absolutely stunning color combination on nice proportionate stems.
Sdlg. TN317D: Searing Embers X Mind Blowing

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

COSMETOLOGIST (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 35” (89cm) Sweet fragrance.
This is a plicata pattern that has a lot going on. Standards have a very light lavender ground, with lavender dotting showing in the center, and then becoming a medium lemon band. Falls are a light lavender white ground, with a deep burgundy haft bar, and a faint lilac lavender dotted edge. Even the beard is complex, with a white base and hair tips that change from burgundy to orange as it moves towards the heart of the flower. Cosmetologist comes from a line of plicatas that are not from traditional plicata breeding; they descend from recessive plicatas that appeared in bicolor breeding lines. Very nice form, bud count, and stems. Sdlg. TO237D: For The Ages X Open Flame plicata sibling

CAROUSEL RIDE (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
This ride gives striking, high-contrast colors with exceptional pattern and texture. Standards rise in softly ruffled layers of warm rosy mauve delicately plicata-stitched mid grayed mauve. Broad falls open creamy white, dramatically etched and feathered in deep grape-purple, concentrating along the margins and radiating inward in fine lines for a bold, artistic effect. Bright orange beards add a vivid spark. Vigorous plants produce show stalks having 4 branches plus spur and a branch spur giving 11-12 buds. Sdlg. DD51A: Girls Wanna Have Fun X BB149C, Princess Pretty Pink sibling

AT LAST MY LOVE (Paul Black 26)
SDB Late-very late 14.5” (37cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
For those wanting a SDB to enter in a typical TB show, here is another one of my multiple branched and budded, late blooming SDBs that fits the bill. Light rose infuses up the midribs of the mid lilac standards. Falls are mid red-violet, blending lighter to their edge. Big orange beards are sandwiched between white hafts veined dark plum. Two basal branches have a spur on each, and the main stem has 2 branches, all adding up to an incredible 10-11 buds. Sdlg. DD131D: Y211A, I Dreamed A Dream sibling X Silence Please

FORTUNE AND GLORY (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
This stable of smaller flowered parents helped create a near perfect border bearded of mouthwatering mid golden apricot blooms with hazy plum-brown veins descending from vivid orange beards. Moderate ruffling is perfect for its size. Superb parent for BBs, IBs and TBs. Two branches and spur carry 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE60A: Black BB109A: (Black Y59C: (Hot Off The Press x All Too Exciting) x Hot Off The Press) X Black CC4A: (Hot Off The Press x Z145I: (Black V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x Black V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral)))

RUNNING LATE (Paul Black 26)
SDB Late-very late 15” (38cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
I keep working on pushing SDB bloom further and further into TB season. Running Late hits that mark by blooming with midseason TBs. Tightly formed flowers have pale pinkish white standards, contrasting with strongly flared dark purple falls, blending paler to edges. Hazy white darts surround unique burnt orange to violet beards. Rampant growth creates clumps filled with bloom. Sdlg. DD140I: Y191A, Perfectly Composed sibling X Black Y278B: (Black V316F, Circus Act sibling x Don't Fix It)

INTENSIFIER (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
I literally took a step back when this bloomed for the first time. What makes Intensifier so dramatic is the clarity and separation of the color. The standards are pure pristine white. Falls are a plush deep violet to near black, with a light lavender band thinly etched in violet. Beards are orange with red tips. Really dramatic in the fields. Sdlg. TN125A: Headline News X Smashing Sensation

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

HARD CIDER (Lynda Miller ’26)
MTB (Tet.) Early-midseason 22” (56cm) No fragrance.
Medium orange standards sit atop red-orange falls with a lighter rim and tangerine beards. Seven to nine buds are held on nicely branched stems. Sdlg. 521C: Calico Jack sibling

SCARLET FLAME (Lynda Miller ’26)
MTB (Tet.) Early-midseason 18” (45.5cm) No fragrance.
Standards are red to red-violet; styles are burgundy with gold edges. Falls are maroon to rose red, with short orange ray lines around the tangerine beard. Sdlg. 921A: 418B: (1915D: (1613: (1411B: (Sun Spirit x Coral Caper) x Coral Sunrise) x 1011B: (Stylish Lass x Sun Spirit)) x 3915C: (2713B: (Cheerful Doll x Night Spirit) x 1411E: (Sun Spirit x Coral Capers))) X Disco Ball

SING SOFTLY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light pink standards rise above white falls with a heavy stitched and dotted red violet haft and wide dotted edge. Coral orange beards draw you in. A very distinctive and different plicata. Sdlg. TP289A: Catch My Eye X Tula

UNVEILED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
MDB Midseason-late 7” (18cm) Light fragrance.
Orange standards have pink tones in the center. The ground color of the falls shifts from white around the beard to light salmon, which is surrounded by a wide near-solid red-violet band and pink wire rim. Sdlg. TO65C: Born To Boogie X Party On

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

MYSTERIOUS ONE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 39” (99cm) Slight fragrance.
Salmon to orange standards have a violet infusion up the midrib. Falls have a salmon orange ground that is heavily overlaid with mulberry purple. More of the salmon ground color shows through on either side of the dark mulberry belly stripe. Beautiful form on incredible stems that can have up to 4 branches, 4 spurs, and up to 16 buds. Mysterious One has been very valuable, not only for its beauty, but for its breeding potential for pink and orange ground plicatas. It is also a super strong and easy grower. Sdlg. TM134SS: Flash Mob X TK161A: ((Fashion Diva X unknown) x Beautician)

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

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

SWEET RED WINE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Medium wine-red standards sit atop deep burgundy red falls with a bright yellow orange beard. Nicely ruffled and branched, Sweet Red Wine is a very easy grower that makes a nice garden display. Sdlg. TN162XX: Dressed For The Occasion sibling