ARE YOU KIDDING ME (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
The name was inspired by our young iris enthusiast friend Dylan Just. If you have ever seen his lively inspiring iris videos, you will certainly recognize the phrase “are you kidding me” as his signature punchline. It is a very fitting name, and very descriptive of the way I myself felt the year it first bloomed. It comes from the line of unique iris that have been coined the ‘pansy face’ pattern. I love everything about this iris, from its lavender standards with maroon base, to its wide and ruffled falls with deep maroon central overlay. The beards are blended a mysterious old gold to purple. Strong growth and gorgeous show stems just solidify the deal. Sdlg. TN180A: Feel The Beat X Autumn Tease sibling

BLIZZARD WARNING (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
When faced with the daunting task of naming irises each year, I often put the photos up on the computer screen to help inspire me. When I saw all of the photos for this one, I instantaneously said “Blizzard Warning”, because it just has a wintery blizzard sort of look. White standards sit atop white falls that are veined then washed bluish purple, with a light lavender edge. A very pretty color and pattern that certainly gets a lot of notice in the field. Sdlg. TN223C: This Is Crazy sibling X Just Between Us sibling

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

CLOSING CEREMONY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason late-very late 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
The name kind of tells you the story. It starts flowering with the midseason varieties, and continues through until the very end of the iris bloom season. Very rich pink standards repeat themselves in a soft band on white falls. Big showy powder blue beards certainly add a touch of class. Very nice form with good bud count and stems. A true delight to look at, it is a favorite for sure! Sdlg. TO160A: Somebody To Love X TK109ZZ: (TG52CC: (Uptown Lady x Don’t Stop Believing) x Slice Of Heaven)

COMPLETE OPPOSITE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
What can we say about this one? Contrast certainly comes to mind! Deep blue purple standards sit atop cinnamon brown falls. Tall stems with lightly ruffled flowers have carrying power out the kazoo! Holy cow, does this one make a statement. It is the iris that garden visitors most often tell me about; it seems to imprint! Certainly unique, and won’t be mistaken for anything else! Stems and branching are good. The flowers are not as wide and ruffled as I usually like, but are certainly adequate. Sdlg. TN13A: Mood Ring X unknown seedling

WOVEN TAPESTRY (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are the faintest of oyster blue with violet and pink washed centers. Falls are rich mauve, with a deep reddish purple washed central fall spot. Beards are burnt orange. We just love the colors of this iris, and it is illustrated so well, in a dramatic pattern. Nice stems with plenty of buds. Sdlg. TO238A: For The Ages X Suspicious Minds

COSMIC (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 33” (84cm) Sweet fragrance.
Some iris have such a complex coloration that it is hard to describe. To make matters more difficult, the shade of purple in Cosmic can be different from day to day, and from year to year. We struggled to figure out which picture to use for the catalogue, and have included several shots on the website for you to see for yourself. No matter what the shade, Cosmic is a blooming fool, absolutely covering itself in bloom, and is intensely bright, with its very wide gold band in the standards, and yellow flash overlaying the white luminata patch on the falls. Sdlg. TO148A: Gone Viral X unknown

DATE NIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Slight fragrance.
A superb, perfectly applied pattern! Date Night is a pristine clean white with a very deliberate lilac band on the falls. The brilliant orange beard brings the whole package to life. So elegant, with fantastic form. A very cheerful iris in the garden, it is sure to make you smile. Sdlg. TO184M: Just Curious X TM52: (Casting Call x Bombshell)

DONE DEAL (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 40” (101.5cm) Slight fragrance.
Done Deal is one of those iris that has it all: great form, branching, bud count, and vigor. Standards are a pearl white with pink and light salmon blended centers. Falls are a rich lavender with a deep red violet signal around the beard, which becomes a deeper lavender wash throughout the mid-section. We used this one quite a lot in hybridizing for all of its exemplary qualities. Sdlg. TN180ZZ: Are You Kidding Me sibling

EXACTLY RIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Blue purple standards have large rich red plum centers. Falls are a deep blue purple with a red violet brindled wash. Exactly Right has excellent form, with strong substance and very wide and heavily ruffled petals. Really a very gorgeous iris. Sdlg. TN213A: Opulent Affair X Only Imagine sibling

EYE LOVE YOU (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight musky fragrance.
I have been working on the ‘pansy face’ pattern, or you could say ‘signal’ pattern, in TBs for quite a few years. Trying to get different colors in the pattern has been fun. Eye Love You has a lot going on in the color department. Standards are flesh to peach, with large pink centers and a lavender infusion up the midrib. Falls are light lavender with a deep maroon signal, and upon closer inspection, there is a very faint lighter peach band. The orange beard sitting on top of the maroon signal just makes the whole thing pop. It certainly makes for a brilliant display in the fields, and won’t be mistaken for any other iris. Sdlg. TN31ZZ: Truth Or Dare X Autumn Tease

EYE SEE YOU (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86cm) Musky fragrance.
One of the shorter TBs this year. Brilliant canary yellow standards rise above medium lavender-mauve falls with a large deep burgundy haft and light yellow band. The extremely wide falls help to enhance the deep haft pattern. Another totally distinctive iris that literally makes me stop and stare when it is in bloom. The color and pattern are shockingly bright!! Sdlg. TO235A: Plot Twist X Open Flame

FRAME OF MIND (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight fragrance.
Standards are light icy lavender white, with a pink and light lavender infused center. Falls are eggshell to white, with a wide peach pink band and haft. Very nicely formed and ruffled flowers are carried on good show stems. A very pleasing and elegant iris. Sdlg. TN91ZZ: Paradise Sunset X TJ164A, Precious Thing sibling

GOING CONCERN (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 38” (96.5cm) Sweet fragrance.
Another iris with a distinctive and complicated color scheme. Standards are very light yellow, with deeper lemon and pink blended centers, and lighter edge with lemon veins. Falls have a large yellow sunburst pattern in the center, becoming a very pronounced deep burgundy, and then bordered with a precise wide lavender blue band. A very striking and unique flower, it makes a startling clump. Sdlg. TN232YY: Beautiful Mind sibling

ALL OVER THE PLACE (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 33” (84cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
A striking garden standout, this broken color iris showcases an artful blend of light to mid violet and creamy white, brushed and splashed together so no two blooms are alike. Heavily ruffled standards rise above broad, arched falls capped with white to marigold beards. Strong upright stems have 3 well-spaced branches plus spur and 8-9 buds. Pairs beautifully with pastels or more bold colors. Sdlg. BB127B: You're A Mess X Black Y111C: (Black V100A, I Broke It sibling x Black W143B, Wild Streak sibling)

HERE I AM (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason-late 39” (99cm) Slight fragrance.
Here I Am was planted at the end of a row this past season, and it put on an amazing show. Very light salmon pink standards are echoed in the hafts of the nearly white falls, and emphasize the nice white-tipped orange beard. Perfectly formed flowers are held on tall, well-branched show stems. This iris is an exhibitor’s dream; it will win on the show bench, and bloom for a long period in the garden. A really nice solid iris! Sdlg. TM81A: Loved One sibling

DIAMONDS ON VELVET (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) No fragrance.
A tall show-stopping iris with persuasive garden presence. Broad, ruffled, mid navy-blue standards rise above dramatic, expansive, darkest navy falls, etched with fine veining centered around a brooding golden sienna beard that adds striking contrast. Strong upright stems carry the blooms well above purple-based blue-green foliage. Sdlg. DD60B: How Bizarre! X Dot Dash Dot

INNER DESIRE (Paul Black 26)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81.5cm) No fragrance.
This intensely saturated jewel will captivate your heart. The interior of dark red-grape standards is white with wide plicata banding of mid red-grape. The falls have a mid blue-purple area surrounding mid tangerine beards, that first transitions to a wide, warm white, heavily plicata-marked band, before ending in a wide, rich wine-magenta band. Its unique color will draw you in for a closer look. Well-branched stalks have 4 branches and 7-8 buds. Unusual buds (fall reverse) are greenish cream heavily dotted mid grape. Another wonderful and unique iris coming from ‘Crocodile Smile’. Sdlg. BB107G: Black Y55B, Crocodile Smile sibling X Crocodile Smile

PRESBY ROYAL JUBILEE (Paul Black 26)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm) Sweet fragrance.
This classically formed, exuberantly ruffled, rich, dark navy blue bitone is a fitting iris to be named for the Centennial Celebration, in 2027, of the famed Presby Memorial Iris Garden. Over its many years, the Garden has served as a repository for historical irises, from their earliest history in the U.S., to the most current, on display for the 2026 American Iris Society National Convention. The velvety, dark navy falls of Presby Royal Jubilee are set ablaze with large orange beards, which end in an intriguing dark navy. An abundant 3 branches and spur carry 9-10 buds. Sdlg. BB72O: My Passion X Y93B, More Than Ruffles sibling

INNOCENT AGE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm) Slight fragrance.
Very light lemon-yellow standards are contrasted by the large deep lemon style crests that peek out from within. Falls are white with a nice rosy violet band. Beards are a pleasing lemon, with white at the end. The nicely ruffled flowers are almost laced. A very pretty iris for the lover of the softer tones. Sdlg. TO240E: Let Me Be There X Just Between Us