WORDS OF WISDOM (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 37” (94cm)
Sweet perfume. Old gold standards with a light yellow edge. Falls are a rich deep mauve with a gold band. Tall large and stately come to mind with this one. It is a very fast clumper and very floriferous, covering itself in bloom. A very good iris. Sdlg. TK3YY: Suave and Sophisticated sib.

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 33” (84cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Such joyful colors say come on and celebrate when it is in bloom. Tightly constructed blooms have pale blue-white standards flushed light lilac up midribs. Silky mid-dark lilac falls are delicately edged crystalline blue. Fiery red-orange beards give a lively lift to this celebration. Two branches carry 7 buds. Sdlg. AA130A: Black X89C, Paisley Print sib X Chocolates and Silk

FEAST FOR THE EYES (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 31” (79cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance What a medley of colors and pattern creating a ‘Feast for the Eyes’. This easy growing luminata has vibrant rosy lilac standards blended to light buttery tan ruffled bands. Velvety black-purple falls are narrowly banded light buttery tan. White luminata patches sit beside light yellow beards. Purple based foliage and disease resistant foliage are a big plus. Vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches and 7-8 buds. A big show-off even from a good distance away. Sdlg. Z2B: Affair to Remember X Black V126C, All too Exciting sib

CORAL JEWEL (L. Miller ’23)
TB Midseason-late 31” (79cm)
Lightly fragrant. More coral than pink, this self reminds me of the coral jewelry you can obtain in Hawaii. The color always stops me in the garden because of its intensity. The coral-pink is a little creamy around the beards. Beards are coral, lightening to peach at the upturned tip. Flowers are ruffled with slightly crimped edges. Produces 7 to 12 large flowers per stalk. Sdlg. 7316B For Lovers Only X 9013B: (7211: In Love Again x Super Model) x Fiesta Orange))

GABBY GAL (L. Miller ’23)
TB SA Midseason 32” (81cm)
Slight fragrance. This iris has fascinated me since its maiden bloom. The pattern is different especially for a horned variety. Standards and styles are a medium coral pink. Flaring falls are like a zebra. Is it medium orchid violet with pink veins or deep pink with medium orchid violet veins? The falls also have a defined narrow band of pink-orchid. Tangerine beards end with light violet horns that are always consistent. 6 to 7 buds. Sdlg. 5417: 3013B: (4211A, lost cross x Florentine Silk) X 7714, lost cross.

MONET PAINTING (L. Miller ’23)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm)
Light sweet fragrance. The markings and color of this iris remind me of a fine Monet painting. Standards are bordered dark apricot diffusing to medium plum purple in the center. The dark apricot styles are tinted purple and are fringed. Falls have wide borders of plum purple that streaks into the medium apricot center. Extending from the dark tangerine beards are plum purple belly stripes. Great stalks with three branches support 9-13 buds. 5217A: Hot Wired sib.

MEGA RUFFLES (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 30” (76cm)
Slight spicy fragrance If ruffles are your delight, then you’ll be on max overload with this exuberantly ruffled beauty. Light rosy peach standards blend to wide buttery yellow bands. Velvety dark red-grape falls have darker veins and lines overall and are encased in precise, closely packed light rose-pink bands. Tan-gold beards echo the standards color. With so many ruffles, these larger flowers open easily and completely. There are two branches and only 5 buds. Buds open one at a time so each can be fully appreciated and not shorten the bloom time. Fat super ruffled buds are quite fun. Sdlg. AA145A: Autumn Jewel X My Passion

OH SO DIFFERENT (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 30” (76cm)
No fragrance It takes center stage with one of the most dramatically unique flowers. Standards and falls are both a study in color and pattern. Light buffy tan blended standards are widely banded with fine dark plum filigree. Old gold style crests striped dark brown emerge from between them. White falls are a puzzle of purple black veins and sanding overall becoming darker and more closely spaced toward edges. White stitching on reverses adds more distinction. Mid marigold beards help focus the eye. Of course, this has been a favorite since it first bloomed. Three branches have 8-9 buds. Easy and fast growth. Sdlg. AA73L, How Bizarre! Sib

SATAN’S TANGO (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Late 32” (81cm)
No fragrance This bold devil is all about motion and intensity. Let the dance begin. Highly ruffled vivid mid yellow standards swirl around same-colored styles with crests streaked rust. Edges of velvety red-black falls are trimmed mid red and yellow. White veins thrust over the hafts in a moustache pattern. Clumps are ooh la la hot! Moderate sized flowers are born in great abundance on show stalks with 3 branches and 8-9 buds. Clean foliage and easy growth make this a top pick garden variety. Sdlg. Z95K, Unimaginable sib

SPARKLE AND SHINE (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 31” (79cm)
Slight sweet fragrance What an impressive clump this one makes in the garden. Stark white standards dance above strongly flared warmer white falls that become wide mottled and washed mid violet bands. Fiery orange beards demand you come in for a closer look. The bloom keeps on going and going with 4 branches and 10-11 buds. Sdlg. AA63A: Color Wheel X Black Y126 caramel sib: (You Belong to Me x Black Y61B, Creature of the Night sib)

SUNSHINE BOUQUET (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 35” (89cm)
Strong sweet fragrance There is nothing that shines in a garden like yellow. This clean as a whistle bright clear yellow glaciata has even more carrying power because of the white patch below yellow beards. If you’re keen to hybridize luminatas, pair this one up with a quality luminata and you should get plenty. Taller and better vigor than many glaciatas. Three branches provide 8 buds. Sdlg. Z61A: All too Exciting X Black V18A: (Rodeo Girl x Black S114MM, Dare Me sib)

THUNDER SNOW (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 32” (81cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance The quest goes on for a white with blue beard. Each year the hope is that it will be there in the new crop of seedlings. Alas, it hasn’t been. There are beautiful creations that do happen. This beautifully formed milk-glass white has pale violet blue beards. Vigorous growth provides 2 branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. AA139A: involved parentage

BLAZING ORANGE (Paul Black 23)
BB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This fiery apricot orange will instantly command your attention when you walk into your garden. Bright it is. Dark plum hafts showcase vivid red-orange beards. Show stalks have 3 branches and 8-9 buds. Makes quick clumps. Sdlg. Z125A: Time Out X Shivaree

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

DREAM OF DREAMS (Paul Black 23)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance This little jewel represents one more refinement in a many generations quest for late blooming, multi-budded and branched stalks with shorter foliage so all flowers can be seen. I place it close to the top of my breeding accomplishments. Clear mid yellow flowers are born on 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. That sort of stalk and buds would make even a TB proud. Stalks are mid slate purple. Now the challenge is to add more colors and patterns. Imagine the breeding potential represented here. An easy candidate for “Queen of Show”. Sdlg. AA157A: Continuation X Black Y191A, Perfectly Composed 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

FINE OUTFIT (Paul Black 23)
MTB (diploid) Midseason 21” (53cm)
No fragrance This outfit comes from an interesting genetic mix of diploid and tetraploid parents plus an unknown. In trial crosses, ‘Fine Outfit’ has been fertile in diploid crosses but not tetraploid. Traditional diploid type flowers have mid lilac standards with darker fine lines overall. Elongated white hafts have wide dark purple veins with lower half being solid dark purple with white wire rim. Two branches sport 7 buds. Striking clumps filled with stalks and bloom. Sdlg. BB168N: Little White Tiger X Interject

HYBRIDIZERS TAKE NOTE
FUTURISTIC (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 12” (30cm)
Slight sweet fragrance As far as I know, this is the first variegated foliage SDB to be introduced. I’ve bloomed others but none good enough to introduce. ‘Futuristic’ had an interesting beginning. Bloom the first year was a mix of gray-white flowers, grayed pink flowers and some broken colored of gray and pink. Since then, most have transitioned to light gray with a light tan haft veined darker slate tan and narrowly bordered slate violet. There are very subtle light tan broken color segments. Mid old gold beards give a little life to these more somber colors. ‘Futuristic’ is fertile and can produce variegated foliage and broken color flowers but progress is slow. Sdlg. Y262A: Black V277B: (Black S283B: (Black O335B, Burlesque Cutie pod parent x Worry Wart) x Eye of the Tiger) X Black V324A, Egghead sib

SATIN BABY (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early-Midseason 11” (28cm)
Slight musky fragrance Everything about this baby is beautiful. Nicely ruffled standards are light-mid buffy pink as are styles. Wonderfully round ecru falls have light tan to pink blended hafts and light buffy pink ruffled band. Beards are half tangerine and half white. What a subtle beauty! Sdlg. AA181B: Breathtaking X Nutmeg Mambo

SPILT MILK (Paul Black 23)
AB OGB- Midseason-Late 28” (71cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Interestingly, this cross had about 1/3 broken colored seedlings. I don’t know where it comes from. Ecru standards have light old gold centers turning to lines and then heavier stitched borders. Random rosy wine splashes further decorate them. Crests of dark gold styles are striped red-brown. White falls are heavily washed and mottled dark brown. Random streaks and flecks of white make it a bit whimsical. Multi-layered dark brown and old gold beards terminate in small black aril signals. Two well-spaced branches have 5 buds. Sdlg. BB186B: Smokin’ Hot X Let’s Play Dress Up