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

LATER ALLIGATOR (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Be careful this intriguing character doesn’t sneak up on you. Swirling mid to light slate blue standards are flushed darker gray violet up midribs. Ruffled mustard yellow falls have paler centers and are veined darker gold. Show stalks with 3 branches and spur have 8-10 buds which is characteristic of both parents. Robust growth ensures this gator will be back year after year.
Sdlg. Y46A: Black U10, Luxuriant sib X Black W130A: (Black T19B, Lost World sib x Secret Agenda

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

AMERICA’S TOP MODEL (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 36” (91cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Isn’t she stunning as she glides down the runway! Pristine white standards encapsulate white styles rimmed pink. Silken, diamond dusted creamy falls wash to pale buff edges. Mid pink beards assure her couture is anything but common. Hybridizers have worked many years for whites with pink instead of orange beards and finally here it is. Well-branched stalks have 3 branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. AA98A: W77A: (S74OO: (Kiss of Passion x All My Dreams) x S53A: (Royal Sterling x Giorgio)) X Y18A: (Multnomah Falls x Strawberry Shake)

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

BORN TO PARTY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Golden yellow standards. Falls are very difficult to describe. Essentially a deep maroon around and below the beard that blends out to a washed maroon over lavender and finally forming a gold band. Beautiful form with consistent show stems the norm. A clump in full bloom creates quite a startling effect. Sdlg. TL184B: What A Circus X (TI87A x (TC375A x (Tango Express sib x Danger Money)) x Hooked On A Feeling)

BREATH OF FRESH AIR (Thomas Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Pink standards with deeper pink centers. Falls are cream washed light lavender with a pink edge. Beards are medium lavender with frosted lighter lavender hair tips. The overall effect is one of grace and elegance. Nicely branched show stems are the norm. Sdlg. TL176A: Blushing Moment X (Those Violet Eyes x Lasting Moment sib)

COSMIC MYSTERY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. White ground standards are almost completely overlaid gold. The midrib is flushed violet. Falls are white with a deep velvet red band. There is medium red violet dotted band inside the darker band. Nicely ruffled flowers on a very bright and pleasing color combination. A nice classically ruffled form completes the look. Sdlg. TL213G: (Say It Right x Marry The Night sib) X (Marry The Night sib x pod parent of Be Not Afraid).

FEAST OF SPRING (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. Flesh pink standards have medium lavender shot up the midribs and light lemon touched petal edges. Falls are a very rich lavender violet with a lighter edge. Near red beards have a violet tip. Very wide expansive flowers held on well branched stems Great distinctiveness on this intriguing bicolor. Sdlg. TL323A: Wishes Granted X Born To Party pollen parent.

HERE COMES TROUBLE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Dark burgundy-maroon standards are edged with a wide gold band. Falls are a deep beetroot red to near black with a narrow gold edge. The central white luminata patch has gold touched hafts on both sides. Heavily ruffled flowers are a delight to behold. Here Comes Trouble is a strong grower with fast increase and a prolific bloomer. She has been very popular with garden visitors. Sdlg. TK51VV: Fancy Ideas X TG173B: (Song Of Silence x TC174D: (Midnight Velvet pod parent x TY10AA: (High Master x Double Click))).

IN ABUNDANCE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Pink Standards with a faint violet stitched edge. Falls are cream with a medium red violet dotted edge. Inside the edge on either side of the beard is a brushed light salmon. With super strong growth and heavy bloom IN Abundance will put the early season into high gear. Sdlg. TL45B: All Stitched Up sib.

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.

MIND YOUR MANNERS (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Very light lavender pink standards flushed deeper pink in the center. Falls are a clear medium lavender with pink touched hafts. Beards are lavender. Lovely tight ruffles and nice stems. Sdlg. TK220ZZ: parentage unknown faded tag.

ON THE COVER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards are the darkest red violet with a very light rose edge. Falls are an intense shade of black mulberry with a thin light margin of light rose. There is just a touch of orange on either side of the white luminata patch. On The Cover is a very dark luminata but to the red tones of purple black where as many other dark luminatas currently on the market are to the blue tones of black. A little shorter in stature than some of the others but she certainly packs a lot of punch securing her place on the cover of the catalogue this year. Sdlg. TK22A: sister to last years intro
Spine Tingler.

POSITIVE THINKING (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm)
Light sweet fragrance. It is hard not to think positive when viewing this happy, cheerful iris. Standards are a brilliant canary yellow. Falls are creamy white with a canary yellow haft and band. There is also a touch of lilac on the shoulders and blushed below the beard. An interesting and beautiful application of color. Nicely ruffled, well-branched show stems are the norm. Sdlg. TL235C: Colour Bazaar X Catwalk Queen.

PROPENSITY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91.5cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Milky white standards are flushed light lemon in the center and at the petal edges. Falls are a rich lavender violet overlaid with a deep red violet spot that blends out to a light flesh pink edge. I have a bit of a soft spot for this sort of pattern and the application of the color is so good on Propensity. It doesn’t hurt that it has beautiful wide ruffled form on nice stems either. Sdlg. TL40C: Espionage X Dressed To The Nines.

SECRET CHORD (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Light fragrance. The color of Secret Chord is hard to describe but here we go. Standards have a brassy gold base then they are washed and dotted mulberry in the center finally forming a brass band. Falls are creamy white with deep violet on either side of, (and forming a dart just below), the beard. There is a deep mulberry red fall band with purple violet dots inside the band. All in all it makes for a very startling color combo. Combine all that with wide heavily ruffled form and you have a grand garden iris. We have used Secret Chord heavily in our breeding program. It has proven to be a great parent for form and deep patterned plicatas. Sdlg. TK211ZZ: Be Not Afraid sib

STAY IN LINE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm)
Light fragrance. White standards have a heavy peach pink washed center. Falls are Light orange with violet lines radiating out from below the beard. There is a wide orange band at the petal edge and within the band in the center is a large concentration of violet dots. Finally, we are starting to combine the dots and speckles pattern in a more controlled fashion instead of just random. It is also exciting to get some different colors going in the lined pattern. Sdlg TM99A: Open Heart X Leave Me Breathless.

TENACITY (T. Johnson ’23).
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Lavender blue standards with a yellowish green veined network in the center. Falls are an intensely deep velvety black purple with a white sunburst. A wide deep purple belly stripe runs from the beard to the purple band. This is one spectacular iris. Great form, buds, branching and growth, and show stalks always. Tenacity has been marked as an introduction since its maiden bloom. She is also proving to be a very good parent. Sdlg. TL214B: TI180C: (Locomotion sib x (Blyth O211-A: (L94-1: (Ostentatious x G48-5: (Burst x Epicenter)) x L266-1: (G48-5 x Zestful Miss)) )x R41-6, Stay Stylish pollen parent sib X TH156A: (Photo Shoot x (Blyth O211-A: (L94-1: (Ostentatious x G48-5: (Burst x Epicenter)) x L266-1: (G48-5 x Zestful Miss)) )x R41-6, Stay Stylish pollen parent sib).