GHOSTLY APPARITION (P. Black '25)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Slight musky fragrance.
It is similar to the tall bearded ‘ghost plicatas’. White standards have wide mid blue-violet plicata bands and random dotting over centers. White ground falls have mid blue-violet plicata hafts, variable light blue-violet distal wash, and narrow mid blue-violet stitched band. Fascinating beards are half tangerine and white.
Sdlg. DD154D: X252A: (Love Spell x V322A, Jolly pollen parent) X Y263A: (New Release x W218C, Flirtin' Skirts sib)

RAZZLE DAZZLE ME (P. Black '25)
TB Late-very late 31” (78.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Can one possibly get more color on an iris? Probably, but this one makes a good run at it. Mid gold standards and styles top wide falls having mid red-purple centers with light grape finely sanded veins. Warm white hafts on each side of beards are heavily sanded and lined dark brown blended to dark black-brown edges. Moderate brassy khaki bands decorate the edges. Its pod parent Hotsy Totsy is an interesting parent for me. Two branches plus spur carry 7 buds.
Sdlg. BB17O: Hotsy Totsy X Bright Within

MEGASTAR (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm) No fragrance.
This was my favorite seedling out of all of the BB year seedlings. I returned repeatedly to have another look. There is such an overwhelming amount of color and patterning that one viewing isn’t enough to take it in. It is another Crocodile Smile child, which shows its importance as a parent. Warm white standards have a wide light violet plicata outer band and a wide light khaki tan sanded and lined plicata band. Style arms are contrasting dark gold. White falls have wide dark violet to dark plum lined and sanded plicata bands. Rich brown beards are the perfect accent. Three branches produce 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. BB105P: Crocodile Smile X Z62C: (All Too Exciting x U53X, Rise Like A Phoenix sib)

WITCHES STITCHES (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 32” (81.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Glinda the Good Witch put her magic to work and created this enchanted plicata that has only a stitched band around the falls. Usually there is another color, sanding, or plicata marks. Standards are white with light violet-blue stitched plicata bands, but with lighter violet-blue shading in between. Falls are white with wide dark violet stitched plicata bands. Widely spaced greenish texture veins traverse the center. Stalks have three branches and 9-11 buds.
Sdlg. BB113B: Y79A: (V6B: (Ink Patterns x S91A, Raindrops Keep Falling sib) x W215K, Meditation Garden pollen parent sib) X Bespoke

VARIATION ON A THEME (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Slight musky fragrance.
This theme includes several medians and I. aphylla in the parentage. I’m excited when I can add more diversity in a cross. As I like to say, “More is more.” The blending, shades, and patterning of blue bring to mind the ever-changing skies. Standards are mid-dark blue blending to mid-light blue toward edges. Inky dark blue falls blend to wide light blue bands. Two-toned beards are a fun accent. Moderately sized flowers are carried on three branches having 9-10 buds.
Sdlg. BB161E: Y170C, Stardust Evening sib X Z145H: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

GLOWING MAGIC (P. Black '25)
TB Early-midseason 29” (73.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This luscious glaciata is a blended medley of mid pink to peach with mid apricot hafts and bands. Glaciatas are prone to virus. So far this lovely creation has remained virus free. Strong growth produces stalks with 3 branches and 7-8 buds. An excellent parent for all types of plicatas. One of my favorite irises, with an added bonus of medians in its background.
Sdlg. CC67E: Y152B, Fantasmagorical sib X Fantasmagorical

ATLANTIC BLUE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This mid-dark violet-blue bitone has the impact of powerful Atlantic waves. Mid plum veins are drawn over the large white fall patch surrounding large marigold beards. Strong, well-branched stalks have 3 branches and 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. CC115D: Z114B: (V159Q, Pleasure's All Mine sib x V159O, Pleasure's All Mine sib) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x VO148A, Enough Is Enough sib) x Celebration)

ATHENA’S ROBE (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Give your garden an alluring covering with this multi-colored beauty. Solid gold standards stand proudly above mid blue-violet falls graced with harvest gold hafts and light mauve-brown distal banding. Large marigold beards ensure it won’t be lost among the others. Shorter stalks stand against strong winds and have 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. Robust growth.
Sdlg. CC124B: Z137A: (W152B: (T80A: (Fantasy In Pink x Q6A: (Dearie x Drifting Bubbles)) x Multnomah Falls) x Shivaree) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x Enough Is Enough) x Celebration)

GETTING SOME SUN (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 30” (76cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Moderately sized flowers and shorter stalks help keep this sunny creation upright when the weather turns cloudy and rainy. Mid-dark yellow standards are echoed in the color of the hafts, band and texture veins of the white falls. Big mid marigold beards demand you come closer. Two widely spaced branches carry 7 buds.
Sdlg. CC124H: Z137A: (W152B: (T80A: (Fantasy In Pink x Q6A: (Dearie x Drifting Bubbles)) x Multnomah Falls) x Shivaree) X Z115A: (V160B: (S158A, Like A Breeze pod parent x Enough Is Enough) x Celebration)

CAN JUST IMAGINE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Lavender blue standards; falls are lavender blue with a deeper violet blue brindled wash. Beards are burnt orange with lavender tips. Can Just Imagine is very tall and stately, with beautiful show stems. It is a ‘fancy’, which in hybridizing talk means it is about one generation away from being a luminata. A unique and striking feature is its beautiful lavender spathes and stems. It is very hard to photograph but is very noticeable in the garden. We have used this one quite a lot in hybridizing. A very pretty quality iris, and the product of two great parents. Sdlg. TN90ZZ: Beautician X Gone Viral

FUTURE DREAMS (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
For many years I have worked with plicatas that are the result of outcrosses to bicolors, to increase vigor and bring more diversity in color and pattern. Future Dreams is so named because of the wide-ranging breeding potential in this pattern. Standards are deep lavender purple with darker maroon veining. Falls are white with a deep maroon haft and band. If that weren’t enough, upon closer inspection, you will notice broken color within the band. A totally unique and distinctive color and pattern variation in plicatas. Flowers are well-formed, and carried on strong show stems with lots of buds. Future Dreams has a good pedigree, and once again shows the importance of ‘Tenacity’ as a parent, both for quality and diversity. Sdlg. TO236M: Running In Circles sibling X Tenacity

GUESS WHAT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Icy blue white standards sit atop white falls with a wide lilac blue stitched and dotted band. Beards are red. Guess What is a very strong grower and prolific bloomer. Well-formed flowers are carried on beautifully branched and budded stems. Really a gorgeous bloom, with the overall effect being a blue plicata with a red beard. Parentage is unknown, due to mixed cross tags.

POMPOUS PARROT (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
This sassy character commands attention with its bold, high-contrast coloring and lavishly ruffled form. Soft, luminous, salmon pink standards, delicately stitched darker, rise above richly saturated near-black purple falls, creating a striking bicolor effect. The falls are accentuated by a radiant white butterfly shoulder, drawing the eye to a glowing orange beard that adds warmth and intensity. Its pod parent provided the genes for its amazing show stalks, which have 5 branches and 16-17 buds. A superb parent. Sdlg. DD51D: Girls Wanna Have Fun X BB149C, Princess Pretty Pink sibling

RIDING THE SURF (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) No fragrance.
Clear skies above and pounding surf below, it’s time to break out the surfboard. Pristine white standards tower above white falls irregularly washed and blended mid to dark blue. Pale blue blended bands add some foam. Strong, elegantly tall stalks have 4 branches and a branch spur, giving 11-12 buds. Coming from a stable of robust parents gives it staying power in your garden. Sdlg. CC76B: Black Z40B: (Black V67A: (Black R72A: (Fancy Dog x Black M80CC: (Black J140B, First Page sibling x Man About Town)) x Blueberry Parfait) x V191A: (Black R174B: (Frontline x Bluebird Of Happiness) x Dancing Star)) X Black X1A: (Adriatic Waves x All Ashore)

HIGHLY RATED (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Standards are deep shrimp pink with a lemon peach band. Falls are rich shrimp to flamingo pink, with a lighter area below the beard, and a narrow cream edge, yellow at the haft. Really a beautiful color, with lots of buds. One branch is a little tight on the stem, but still opens unobstructed. Stunning, once again showing the value of ‘Lovely Livvy’ as a parent! Sdlg. TM116ZZ: For Real sibling

SULTRY BEAUTY (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 31” (78.5cm) Pronounced spicy fragrance.
This beauty sweeps onto the dance floor in an elegant velvet gown. The satin sheen of her tightly fitted mid boysenberry top courses downward to her velvety dark burgundy skirt, underlaid with near black veins. Iridescent boysenberry-edged ruffles complete the ensemble. Mid orange beards add a bit of flash. Strong growth produces show stalks with 4 branches and 8-9 buds. It is valuable as a broken color parent. Sdlg. CC57A: Black Y115A, Breaking Free sibling X Goat Rodeo

FORTUNE AND GLORY (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
This stable of smaller flowered parents helped create a near perfect border bearded of mouthwatering mid golden apricot blooms with hazy plum-brown veins descending from vivid orange beards. Moderate ruffling is perfect for its size. Superb parent for BBs, IBs and TBs. Two branches and spur carry 8-9 buds. Sdlg. EE60A: Black BB109A: (Black Y59C: (Hot Off The Press x All Too Exciting) x Hot Off The Press) X Black CC4A: (Hot Off The Press x Z145I: (Black V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x Black V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral)))

LIFE GOES ON (Paul Black 26)
BB Early-midseason 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The simply formed mid violet flowers are nothing you’ll get excited about. The appeal is the green and white variegated foliage with some purple at the base. There is some reblooming blood in the parentage, so it can be useful in breeding reblooming variegated foliage types. Sdlg. CC11A: Variegated Wonder X Sub-Zero

PINK EXPLOSION (Paul Black 26)
MTB Midseason-late 22” (56cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Refined flowers are pink. Mid pink standards encase a bit darker styles. Light pink falls have darker hafts and margins. Glowing tangerine beards finish it all. Two to three branches produce 7-9 buds. An exciting parent for all median classes. Sdlg. EE108A: Sassy Senorita X Dream Of Dreams

PURPLE PLEASURE (Paul Black 26)
BB Midseason-late 26” (66cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
An abundance of ruffles and frills on a classically formed flower ramp up its visual pleasure. The clean mid violet color of the standards is repeated in a wide band around the velvety dark purple falls, which also have dark plum hafts. Light grayed tan to pale blue beards are an interesting touch. Lovely show stalks have 3 branches and 9-10 buds. Note the blue and pink parentage. Sdlg. DD22C: Adrift At Sea X Black BB86E: (Bubbly Beauty x For Lovers Only)