ZERO GRAVITY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet perfume. Steely blue standards with gold and violet blended centers. Falls are steely blue. A very ghostly looking iris and one that we like a lot. Beautiful form and stems. Sdlg. TL22C: Sergey X Espionage.

I LIKE LACE (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 30” (76cm)
Slight musky fragrance Prickly lace on lighter colored irises kicks their appeal up another notch. Heavily laced light violet standards dance above palest violet falls toned slightly darker toward their margins. Deeply sculpted texture veins add a three-dimensional quality. Light yellow beards are the perfect accessory. Two branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. AA270A: Soul Mate X Super Model
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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)

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.

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

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance Sparkling pristine white flowers have standards decorated with wide vibrant mid violet plicata bands and sparse sanded veins over their centers. Amount of center markings varies considerably from sparse to overall. Contrasting dark plum style crests peak out over white falls with narrow mid purple plic bands. Dark wine sanded darts cover the hafts then give way to closely spaced light yellow veins. Light marigold to white beards are the perfect complement. Clumps provide a light and bright spot in your garden. Two branches and spur have 5 buds. Sdlg. Z64E: All too Exciting X Black W143F, Wild Streak 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)

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

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:

FORTUNATELY (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Midseason 34” (87cm)
Sweet fragrance. Medium blue to light violet standards are infused with cinnamon to orange in the centers. Falls are rust orange with a lighter patch of near gold in the center. A very showy and unique bicolor. Sdlg. Y105-B: You Can Dance sib

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

PATRIOTIC (Paul Black 23)
BB Midseason-Very Late 27” (69cm)
I’ve been working a number of generations for a turquoise TB or at least one that leans well in that direction. I’ve been incorporating medians to give more genetic possibility. It is another project that I’m fast running out of time to complete. ‘Patriotic’ is a clear sky blue with fine dark blue lines over the falls. Classically formed flowers are carried on show stalks with 3 branches and spur providing 8-10 buds. Clumps are filled with stalks and bloom. Sdlg. AA148A: Poise and Charm X Black W164A: (Luxuriant x Black U67 mid blue sib to pollen parent of New Fangled)

RAGTOP (Paul Black 23)
SDB Late-Very Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance For breeders, here’s a lovely twofer for you, luminata and plicata on one side and lace of the other. It makes for an exciting parent. Ruffled and lightly laced khaki standards have slate red violet bases. Light khaki style crests are laced. Mid yellow hafts are veined mid mahogany and darker mahogany over lower half. A neat narrow ruffled and laced light khaki band encircles them. Soft old gold beards are the perfect complement. Sdlg. AA259D: Jolly X Little Bit of Lace

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

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

NEW FALLEN SNOW (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 39” (99cm)
Slight sweet fragrance This ruffled creation is as flawless as ‘New Fallen Snow’. Big full blousy white blooms standards have a slight violet tint. Big white beards overlaid vibrant orange give it distinction. Tall statuesque show stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 10-11 buds. Strong vigorous growth. Seedlings in this cross had overall superb quality and a wide range of colors. Should be a great parent. Sdlg. Y93C: Nostalgic Memory X Black U1U, Luxuriant sib

WHAT'S UP (Keppel '23)
TB Midseason 38" (97cm)
Standards are an interesting blend of rosy tan and violet. Falls are a brassy yellow with a copper to orange beard. ((Nouveau Riche x (Mysterious Ways sib x Safari Sunset)) X Mysterious Ways sib x Safari Sunset) x (Mysterious Ways sib x (Summer Fashion x Coming Up Roses) x Lotus Land))))