LATE NIGHT KISS (Paul Black '22)
IB Midseason-Late 22” (56cm)
Slight musky fragrance. Need a little dramatic passion? ‘Late Night Kiss’ generates loads. Just a bit of cream ground shows on these dark beetroot standards with interior being cream with dark beetroot plicata bands. White to cream falls have very dark beetroot plicata bands. Hafts have widely spaced black veins and dart at ends of black-brown beards. Compact heavily ruffled flowers show beautifully on stalks with 2 branches and spur.
Sdlg. Z167D: Black U194G, Peppito sib X Cat Tales

QUITE BRIGHT (Paul Black '22)
MTB Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance. It is also quite white embellished with yellow veined hafts. Very pretty form. Well-branched stalks and plenty of buds. Makes showy clumps.
Sdlg. Y191M: Perfectly Composed sib tetraploid

SLIGHTLY CONFUSED (P. Black '22)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. What shall I be? This one is ‘Slightly Confused’. Icy blue-white standards sometimes have wide light pink segments and the same for the falls. Sometimes falls are icy blue-white washed light pink overall. Showy beards are always dark violet blue.
Sdlg. AA253A: Black X303B: (Black U165C: (Black R232D, Ambiguous pollen parent x Green Oasis) x Breathtaking) X Little Bit of Lace

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

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

CAST A TALL SHADOW (Paul Black 22)
TB Late-Very Late 36” (91cm)
No fragrance SHOW STALKS are borne in abundance on husky, hardy and disease resistant plants. It’s a win all round! Ruffled round and expansive flowers have mid violet blue standards. White half-moon fall centers are closely veined purple black transitioning to solid purple black lower half. Sturdy stalks have 4 branches plus spur and 10-12 buds. Gorgeous clumps filled with stalks. Husky disease resistant plants
Sdlg. Y10G: Haunted Heart X Clotho’s Web

CATERPILLAR BLUES (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 32” (81cm)
No fragrance Breeding for a pure white with dark blue beard TBs has been the pursuit of many hybridizers and one that has yet to be accomplished. The link between beard saturation and petal color has been near impossible to break. The darker the beard, the bluer the petals. The whiter the petals, the lighter the beard becomes. ‘Caterpillar Blues’ is a very light reverse blue amoena with a darker blue beard. Disease resistant foliage and durable plants produce plenty of bloom stalks with 3 branches and 6-7 buds.
Sdlg. Y96A: Black V59C: (After the Rain x Black is Black) X U50A: (After the Rain x S110D: (N193A, Blue Trill sib x Blue Trill))

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

LACE AND PROMISES (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 37” (94cm)
No fragrance. Large voluptuous blooms are breathtakingly presented on statuesque stalks that will draw comments of admiration in your garden. Pale violet blue standards color is repeated in lighter beards set on white falls. Each bloom is precisely edged in lace and their heavy substance promises they’ll be a lasting presence for you to enjoy.
Sdlg. Y45C: Black U10, Luxuriant sib X Black U51B, When Angels Sing sib

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

TOO MIXED UP (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 30” (76cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance. If broken colored sorts are your proclivity, ‘Too Mixed Up’ should be on your must have list. Flowers are the ultimate in ruffled form but buds are bit lacking at 6-7. Standards are silvery white with random dashes, segments and slashes of violet to red violet. Falls are the same except rosy peach hafts. Two colored beards have tangerine throats ending in light lavender. Vigorous growth.
Sdlg. X115B: Big Break X Break In

WHAT A LOOKER (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 33” (84cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Pink, pink and nothing but pink including the beards. The pink pigment is overlaid on a warm white ground that prevents contamination from any other color. The pink beards approaching red will make anyone stop and turn with admiring glances. It is a garden favorite that catches most everyone’s eyes. Eight to nine more simply formed flowers are presented on three perfectly spaced branches. Robust blue-green foliage is a big plus for pink TBs that can have less than stellar foliage.
Sdlg. Z14A: Strawberry Shake X Black V186A: involved

APPLE OF MY EYE (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Oh YES, I really like this one. Be sure to take in the lovely, nuanced colors. Tight classically formed flowers have waxen substance and sheen. Lightly laced red brown standards blend to wide dark mulberry bands, a very interesting color transition. Narrow crinkle laced black cherry falls are touched with white dotting. The white chevron around the multi-layered beard is heavily mottled mid black cherry. Three layered beards are white to dark purple and tipped old gold. Strong, disease resistant foliage. Show branched stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9- 10 buds. Sdlg. AA268A: Ruby Tracery X Black Y54A, Drag Race sib

MAGIC IN THE AIR (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Rebloom Early-Midseason 11” (28cm)
Sweet fragrance. Medium violet blue standards and rim on deep violet falls. Beards are orange, then becoming violet blue with orange hair tips. Strong rebloom tendencies having rebloomed for me both in later spring and fall. A very showy and strong grower. Sdlg TK264A: Prego X Oh Canada

A MILLION DREAMS (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-Late 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Clear pink standards. Falls are lavender pink with pink touched hafts and shrimp beards. Very large and full wide flowers on perfect show stems. The simpler ruffling and clarity of color make for a knockout garden iris. Impressive to say the least! Sdlg. TL1B: Arrivederci X Hospitality.

AMETHYST ANGEL (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Late 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Light lavender standards with pink centers. Falls are a rich purple reminiscent of the purple seen more often in siberian iris. The beards are large and a unique blending of colors that comes off as kind of a frosted root beer. The flowers are very wide, large and ruffled. Tall well branched stems add to the look. A beautiful color combination that is hard to capture in a photo. Sdlg. TI11ZZ: Beauty Contest X All About Me.

AS YOU WISH (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Light fragrance. Medium rose-lavender-pink standards and edge on lighter pink falls. There is a darker pink blush on either side of the beautiful saturated pink beards. Very nice ruffled and laced form on nice show stems. As You Wish is an easy grower and has been used heavily in hybridizing. This is an iris that we like a lot!! Sdlg. TL74ZZ: Slice Of Heaven X Strawberry Shake.

DEVOTED TO YOU (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Intense true medium to deep pink standards. Falls have a light pink center with a medium pink band. Beards are pink and orange with a short lavender tip. Beautifully ruffled and lightly laced flowers are held on nice show stems. Very rich and gorgeous! Sdlg. TK65A: Slice Of Heaven X sib to Simply Fabulous.

LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB early-midseason 35” (89cm)
Lightly scented. LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23) TB early-midseason 35” (89cm) Lightly scented. This gorgeous iris is named to honor the late great Olivia Newton-John. Olivia was not only a very talented celebrity but she was a gorgeous human being. Although I never met her, I certainly followed her career and life. Always a kind, warm and loving person, she never acted the celebrity, taking time to acknowledge all who came upon her. She courageously fought breast cancer in an out of remission for 20 years. Never one to complain she always looked on the positive side of things. The latter part of her life was dedicated to finding a cure for Cancer. She founded the Oliva Newton-John Cancer And Wellness Centre In Melbourne, Australia, the country she called home. Here she tirelessly raised money to support cancer research using plant-based treatments. Lovely Livvy was the pet name the media used throughout Olivia’s life to describe her. The iris we have chosen to honor her kind of named itself. Firstly, it is pink, the color of breast cancer awareness. On top of that, I made the cross in the garden of Barry and Lesley Blyth (using two of Barry’s seedlings), who live only miles from where Olivia grew up. Lovely Livvy is an extraordinary and unique creation in a color combination that has not yet been seen in iris until now. White standards are flushed pink. Falls are a deeper rose pink with a gorgeous ruffled white band. Olivia with her kind and generous heart inspired me to do my part, so I donated a portion of the proceeds of each plant sold in its introductory year (2023) to her Cancer research centre in Australia. Sdlg. TJ335B: X267-12 (U232-1: (S290-3: Raise the Curtain x Another Woman) x (S69-1: (02-185c: Restless Heart x Queen’s Circle) x (02-191B: Tour De France x Rippling River))) x Bashful Love. X Walk Right Back pod parent.