HOW BIZARRE! (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance My ‘Action Packed’ has given rise to many other excitingly patterned standards and falls like ‘How Bizarre!”. Pale chalky grayed violet elliptical standards centers give way to wide mid tan-gold bands heavily veined and rimmed mid red brown. Velvety purple black falls have white centers heavily veined and sanded dark purple. Old gold beards echo standards color. An easy late show winner with 3 branches and 7 buds. Strong growth and clean disease resistant foliage. Sdlg. AA73A: Laser Light Show X Black X141E: (Black U53D, Rise Like a Phoenix sib x Black U38B, Jungle Mist sib)

HOT WIRED (L. Miller ’23)
TB Midseason 32” (81cm)
Light fragrance. Not just another plicata! Standards are mostly solid rich maroon with slight undertones of apricot in the center. The lacey edges of the very dark apricot styles are trimmed in maroon. Flaring falls have apricot-peach ground bordered by a solid maroon edge that turns to dots as it extends from the burnt dark orange beards. 9 to 10 buds on well branched stalks. Sdlg. 5217E Powder Keg X 9813A, 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.

PERKY LASS (L. Miller ’23)
TB Midseason-late 32” (81cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. As I work toward pink ground plicatas interesting combos are happening. The standards of Perky Lass are light pinkish salmon, lightly washed light violet. Falls are pinkish-salmon bordered with heavy maroon dotting, heaviest beside striking dark tangerine beards. 7 to 8 buds are held on show stalks. Sdlg. 5817C: 9813A, Lost cross X Powder Keg.

BOLD ENERGY (L. Miller ’23)
MTB Tet. Early-midseason 21” (53cm)
No fragrance. Lightly ruffled mulberry purple with red-orange beard. Nice stems with 7-13 buds. Sdlg. 1319B: 3814A: ((5410B: (Ben A Factor x Red Trooper) x Raspberry Shocker)) X 916E: (2814A: (( Rose City x Raspberry Shocker sib) x Probie)).

SPICY GAL (L. Miller ’23)
MTB dip. Midseason-late 16” (41cm)
No fragrance. Standards are old gold with darker sanded margins. Falls white bordered old gold with veins and dots of brownish-purple. Gold beards. 9-10 buds. Sdlg. 3918: 6814B: ((5610B: (Garden Imp x Survivor) x 2710A: (Garden Imp x persona)) X Pixel Packin’ Mama.

MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 29” (74cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Oh yes, that big billowy ruffled form is something to shout about. Mid red violet standards have ruffled light buff bands and subtle gray-white veins shot outward from their centers. Styles are light buff. Mid dark red violet blended falls have muted fine gray-white lines overall, narrow gray-white bands and white luminata patch. Beards progress from mid marigold ending in white. Blue-green foliage has limited purple base. Mid slate purple stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 8-10 buds. Lovely clumps. Sdlg. Z2C, Feast for the Eyes 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

WESTERN OUTLAW (Keppel ’22)
Yellow tan standards; falls lemon yellow ground with white center, red brown plicata rim, and yellow beard.

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)

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

CLEAR VIEW (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
No fragrance Chalky pale lilac standards have wide light mauve finely lined bands. Dark red purple falls have white veins over hafts and short light violet dart at end of light orange to white beards. Very pretty ruffled form. Sdlg. BB245B: Black Y270A: (involved) X By the Sea

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

SHEER MADNESS (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Early 38” (96.5cm)
Musky fragrance. Standards have lilac blue centers that are bordered in reddish violet plicata dotting. Falls have a light-yellow ground that is overlaid with light red around beard, then the ground color becomes a dark yellow that is overlaid with a dark red wash to the petal edge. A very complex color combination that is very pretty and unique. Sdlg. X213-AA:

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

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

RED HOT BLUES (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early 12” (30cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance The layers of color in the falls is entrancing. Standards and styles are mid gold. Black cherry hafts of falls blend to mid rose and then are banded bronzy brown. Half burnt orange and mid lavender beards end with a darker violet flash at their end. Sdlg. BB246A: Black Y278B: (Black V316F, Circus Act x Don’t Fix It) X Yoda

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

TRIPLE SMILES (Paul Black 23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Lovely form, pretty colors and robust clumps create ‘Triple Smiles’. Cameo pink standards sit pleasantly above mid lilac falls boldly adorned with dark red violet chevron spots. Colorful beards transition from dark orange to violet blue. Sdlg. BB231B: Black Y234A: (Black U159A, Queen of Darkness pod parent x Breathtaking) X Yoda