ABSOLUTE PERFECTION (Paul Black 23)
IB Early-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance I think without a doubt this is the finest of the black and white plicata IBs. Centers of iridescent purple-black standards reveal just a bit of white plic ground. White falls have wide black plic bands with purple interior markings. Show stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. Vigorous growth and increase. Stunning clumps. It is fertile. Sdlg. AA277A: Midnight Velvet X Lap of Luxury

BACON AND EGGS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Sunnyside up light yellow standards sit atop mid red-brown bacon falls with a little egg at hafts and around them. Clumps are filled with stalks and plenty of increase left for next year. Sdlg. BB195C: Before the Dawn X Mesa Sunrise

BOOM (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance It is spring’s explosion of color. Light peach standards are a soft foil for the raucous mid plum falls widely banded light rosy mauve. Bright dark orange beards go “Boom”! Clumps are filled with stalks. Robust growth. Sdlg. BB227A: Hey Look At Me X Yoda

CANDY TYCOON (Paul Black 23)
MTB (tet) Midseason-Late 25” (63cm)
No fragrance This tycoon has cornered the market on pink cotton candy blooms. Light peach pink standards and styles top falls with pale peach pink hafts lined and sanded mid rose-pink blending to wide rose band then narrowly edged light peach pink. Coral pink beards are the perfect accessory. Super show stalks have 4 branches and sometimes rebranch with 9-14 buds. Sdlg. AA166G: Black X201C: (Black T171E, Casual Attire pod parent x Black T171D, sib) X Black Y179A, Bright Victory sib

DEMURE PRINCESS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early-Midseason 13” (33cm)
Pronounced spicy fragrance Absolutely beautiful in every way – form, color and plants. Round and gently ruffled falls of mid violet blue flowers have large darker violet blue spots with white darts over hafts. Soft pale blue beards are the perfect accent. Evenly distributed stalks throughout the clump. Sdlg. BB199F: Zaa Zaa Zing sib

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (Paul Black 23)
BB Late-Very Late 24” (61cm)
Slight musky fragrance You’ll return again and again to gaze upon this sultry siren. Full, classically formed flowers have smooth mid-dark garnet standards. Velvety black cherry falls are delicately edged in narrow paler ruffles. Glowing light yellow hafts are veined and sanded black cherry and adorned with smoldering burnt orange beards. Clean, vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches and 7-9 buds. The IB, 'Morning Show' was used to provide a different genetic base in the quest for "the red iris". Sdlg. Z121A: Black V170A: (Morning Show x Black P248B, Hi Love pollen parent) X Black X59A, Radiant Garnet sib

FLIPPANT (Paul Black 23)
IB Midseason-Late 24” (61cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Who can get too serious with a clump filled with these wildly colored jokers? What one can take seriously are the superbly formed flowers carried in abundance on show stalks. Cream standards have wide maroon plicata bands and heavily marked centers. Light yellow falls have wide maroon plicata bands. Widely spaced dramatic dark maroon veins course downward. Vivid Marigold beards shout, “I don’t care!”. Show stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 8-9 buds. An exceptional garden variety. Sdlg. Z167A: Black U194G, Peppito sib X Cat Tales

YOWZA (Paul Black 23)
MTB (tet) Late-Very Late 22” (56cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Considerable breeding has taken place to create fuller and more ruffled MTBs. After years of refining, the goal has been achieved. These classically formed and ruffled blooms create an elegant presence. Mid lilac standards base blends upward to light mauve pink with gilt tan-gold rims. Mid mauve pink styles peer out over very round light buff-pink falls etched with plum veins over their hafts. Fluffy tangerine beards top it all off. Strong growth creates clumps filled with show stalks having 3 branches plus 2 spurs with 9-12 buds. Exceptionally nice in every respect. Sdlg. AA161B: Black X185C, Queen Mum sib X Black Y196B, involved

GENTLE SIGH (Paul Black 23) MTB (tet) Midseason-Late 24” (61cm) slight sweet fragrance Through its softer colors and diminutive size, ‘Gentle Sigh’ conveys the feeling of peaceful serenity in your garden. Standards of white flowers have wide mid amethyst plicata bands and dotted centers. Falls have mid amethyst plicata stitched bands. White beards have interesting auburn tips over a light amethyst layer. Show stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 10-11 buds. A lovely refinement in tetraploid MTBs. Sdlg. AA276C: To the Contrary X Deep in the Heart

PAY THE PIPER (Black 23)
BB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Once you’ve paid the piper, he’ll give you this spectacular creation. It makes one of the finest clumps with masses of classically formed flowers that last for days from iron like substance. Standards are light buffy pink and styles mid buffy pink. Mid buffy pink falls are washed old rose becoming darker toward edges. Hafts are veined dark old rose as are lines overall. Flaming dark orange beards complete the piper’s act. Exceptionally well-proportioned flowers are carried on show stalks with 3-4 branches and 9-12 buds. Sdlg. BB162E: Luscious Lips X Black Y171B: Luscious Lips sib

PRINCESS PRETTY PINK (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 34” (86.5cm)
Slight musky fragrance This later blooming pink ground plicata avoids the winter damage that plagued so many earlier ones of this type. Ruffled standards are mid pink blending to mid apricot edges. Mid coral styles echo these warmer colors. Light pink falls have white luminata type patches lined mid plum. Narrow ruffled red-plum plicata bands encircle the expansive falls. Coral beards are the perfect accessory. Vigorous growth creates sumptuous clumps filled with show stalks having 3 branches and 8-10 buds. Sdlg. BB149G: Black Y135A: (All too Exciting x Fancy Ideas) X Z100G, Background Noise sib

SPICED APPLES (Black 23)
BB Midseason-Late 27” (68.5cm)
Slight sweet fragrance You’ll love the warm yummy colors of these ‘Spiced Apples’. Standards are light copper peach styles mid copper. White fall hafts are mottled light wine then solid to edge. Light rosy peach centers blend to light then mid rosy-copper to edges and are circled with gilt gold rims and adorned with bright orange beards. Show stalks have 4 branches plus spur and 11-14 buds. Superb parent. Sdlg. Z148B: Delectable Treat X Black W182D: (Black U78C:(Black R168C, Three Part Harmony sib x Grace and Charm) x Long And Winding Road pollen parent)

GONZO (Paul Black 23)
BB Midseason-Late 25” (63.5cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Descendants of ‘Delectable Treat’ have great substance. This is one of them. It takes 4 or 5 days for the flowers to open and expand. This cross gave a wide range of unique colors and patterns and most having superior branching and buds. Standards and styles are mid greenish yellow. Hafts of greenish cream falls are veined mid rosy brown changing to solid edgings along upper half. Dark pumpkin beards add a bit of warmth. Superbly proportioned flowers are carried on show stalks with 3-4 branches and 9-11 buds. No mistaking this for any other. Sdlg. BB162B: Luscious Lips X Black Y171B, Luscious Lips sib

POWER AND PRESTIGE (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm)
Light fragrance. Creamy white standards have light orange centers with light lavender veins, becoming orange as they extend outwards to the petal’s edge. Falls are a medium orange with salmon tones blended in the center. We continue to work on the orange amoena type to improve the stems. Power And Prestige has nicely branched and budded stalks and has been used heavily in hybridizing. A very pretty iris. Sdlg. TL219A: (Barbara Rider x Arrivederci) X Shockaholic

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Light fragrance. Light salmon pink standards are heavily infused violet up the midrib. Falls are a very rich magenta with a slight blue violet blended overlay in the center. Large flowers are very ruffled and held on well branched and budded show stems. A very sharp color combination that is always much admired. Sdlg. TJ157XX: (Strawberry Bliss pollen parent X Highly Classified)

SO HAPPY TOGETHER (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Musky fragrance. The quest for a TB with blue standards and pink falls has been a long and frustrating road for many hybridizers. Along the way there are beautiful seedlings worthy of introduction, and this is one of those. Larger flowers are carried on sturdy stalks. Notice the peach pink styles peering from between violet-blue standards. Standards are a blended light blue-violet and pink. Falls are blended light orchid pink with a slight buff center stripe below the beard. Sdlg. BB86E: Bubbly Beauty X For Lovers Only

PRETTY SIGHT (Black ’24)
TB Early-midseason 34” (86.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. This taller sibling of ‘Make Up Your Mind’ is a very handsome traditional plicata in a lovely cornflower blue shade. It adds one more branch and a complement of 9-10 buds on show stalks. It too is a strong clean grower. Standards are a near solid cornflower blue with a buff wire edge. Falls have a white ground with cornflower dotting inside a more solid band, and then a complementary buff band. Sdlg. AA84X: Come And Dance X Starry Starry Night

SURE TO TURN HEADS (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm)
Sweet fragrance. Put this iris at the top of your list. Its maiden bloom said, “I’m a star,” and so it is. It easily makes my top ten list. Tight compact form and heavy substance ensure it won’t fall apart in adverse weather. Exuberantly ruffled standards contrast with tightly pie crust ruffled fall edges so as to adorn but not obscure the stunning plicata patterning. Sturdy show stalks have 4 branches with 11-14 buds. Growth is robust and clean. Clumps are filled with stalks and bloom. You’re sure to turn your head as you walk by. Sdlg. BB106B: Crocodile Smile X Black Z100D, Background Noise sib

FIVE STAR (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. Gorgeously formed, ruffled, and lightly laced blooms are adorned with big delicious beards. Light mid pink standards are blended buff at the edges. Falls have a creamy cantaloupe center with orange hafts and lighter edge. Supremely show-branched stalks have 3 branches and spur resulting in 10-12 blooms. Very strong, robust, and clean growth. A favorite since maiden bloom; everything about it is five stars!! Sdlg. BB78A: Black Y4A: (Fantasy In Pink x Bedroom Romance) X Black Y84A: (Black V22C: (Toast Of The Town x unknown) x Black W22A: (Clouds Go By x What A Beard!))

BOUNTIFUL BLOOM (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. Want a show-stopping mass of bloom in your garden? Bountiful Bloom gives exactly that. Multitudes of show stalks fill these robust, disease-resistant clumps. It is a superlative garden variety. Mid pink standards are blushed violet up the midrib. Falls are mid red-violet with pink blushed hafts. Sdlg. BB76A: Black Y4A: (Fantasy In Pink x Bedroom Romance) X Fashion Week