WRITING ON THE WALL (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 33” (84cm)
Musky fragrance. ‘Crocodile Smile’ has been a supreme parent for creating unusual and different plicatas. A good proportion of seedlings have lovely branching and buds. Like ironing a small checked shirt, the patterning of Writing On The Wall makes it difficult to focus on any one part. It is unusual. Sdlg. BB104J: Crocodile Smile X Black Y135A: (All Too Exciting x Fancy Ideas)

NEVER NEVER LAND (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. ‘Me And My Shadow’ has been an excellent parent. I am excited about the possibilities of using Never Never Land in plicata breeding since it is half plicata. Its vivid red-orange beards will be a wonderful bold addition when transferred to plicatas. Superior garden traits make it a great garden subject. Standards are light blue with a tan wire rim. Falls are velvety purple black with a narrow purple band. A touch of light apricot in the center accentuates the bold red-orange beards. Sdlg. BB164D: Daffy Duck X Me And My Shadow

BEAUTIFUL MIND (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Standards are a very light creamy yellow with a deep golden yellow center. Falls are creamy white with a nice lavender to violet band. The hafts are also touched a bit with lemon. This strong grower has excellent form and stems with lots of buds. It has been used extensively in hybridizing and has proven to be a quality parent. A standout iris!
Sdlg. TN232ZZ: Coat Of Many Colors X Just Wanting Attention

ETERNAL DAWN (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Light buff pink standards are flushed deep pink in the centers. Falls are cream in the center with deep peach pink hafts and a pink and cream blended band. Tall and stately stems with nice branching and bud count create a beautiful display early in the season. Great parentage also makes Eternal Dawn a fun parent for gorgeous pastels.
Sdlg. TM89ZZ: TJ164A, Precious Thing sib: (Highly Classified x Easy On The Eyes) X TI6YY:(In The Mix x Dance Til Dawn)

HEARD A RUMOR (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
I have been working with Shockaholic as a parent, trying to put a really nice stem on intensely colored patterns involving orange. This one certainly makes the mark. Standards have pink centers that transition to peach. Falls are a vibrant medium orange. Great stems carry nicely ruffled and very elegant flowers. Such a lovely medley of colors!
Sdlg. TM47ZZ: Peach Shake X Shockaholic

JUST RELEASED (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slightly sweet fragrance.
Standards are a blended lavender violet with yellow in the centers and a buff yellow band. Falls are creamy white with slight lavender highlights throughout and a wide showy golden yellow band. Just Released has beautiful ruffled form and is a lovely iris coming from two great parents.
Sdlg. TN27G: Mood Ring X Easy On The Eyes

ONLY IMAGINE (T. Johnson ’25)
TB midseason-late 37” (94cm) Sweet fragrance.
Wow, wow wow, this is one showy and distinctive iris!! A really complex medley of colors and patterns. To top it all off the flowers are heavily ruffled and massive. A truly stunning beauty coming from two exceptional parents.
Sdlg. TK47C: Arrivederci X Dressed To The Nines

SUGGESTION (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 39” (99cm) Sweet fragrance.
Golden yellow standards sit atop white falls with a deep red purple band. An absolutely stunning and clean color combination, Suggestion jumps out at you in the garden with its cheerful bright colors. Tall and well branched stems make it a good show iris as well. Excellent!!
Sdlg. TM152UU: TI180C, Tenacity pod parent X High Desert

TIMELESS CLASSIC (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 37” (94cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Medium orchid standards rise above deeper orchid falls with red beards. It has been hard for me to get a picture that truly captures the beauty of this iris. The form is excellent, and the well ruffled flowers are displayed on nicely branched show stems with plenty of buds. Truly a nice iris.
Sdlg. TJ157ZZ: Strawberry Bliss pollen parent X Highly Classified

DOUBLE OR NOTHING (P. Black '25)
MTB Midseason-late & rebloom 21” (53.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Pale grayed tan standards have a grayed red-violet midrib and light gold band. Mid marigold beards brighten mid dark maroon falls. Superbly branched stalks have three branches plus spur and 9-10 buds.
Sdlg. CC119A: Z120A: (V169A: (May Debut x M166A, Inspired sib) x V193B: (Date With Destiny x Q47C, Devil’s Delight pod parent)) X unknown

BODACIOUS BEARD (P. Black '25)
BB Midseason-late 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
There is no ignoring this exceptionally nice creation. Its big bushy mid marigold beards demand you stop and look. Standards and narrow band on white falls are mid gold. Perfectly proportioned show stalks have three branches and 9-10 buds. Near perfection. Exciting parentage.
Sdlg. CC127D: Spiced Apples X Z145I: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

COZY KITTY (P. Black '25)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) No fragrance.
This kitty looks more like it is ready to go partying rather than cozy up at home. Falls on light pink flowers with mid pink styles have mid red-purple lined and sanded hafts and center stripes. Beards are flaming neon coral pink. Makes a joyful clump. Another interesting parentage.
Sdlg. CC220B: Y263A: (New Release x W218C, Flirtin' Skirts sib) X X224C: (Intoxicating x V322A, Jolly pollen parent)

MAKE MINE PINK (P. Black '25)
SDB Midseason-late 13” (33cm) Slight musky fragrance.
These flowers are pink, pink and more pink. The clear pink is made possible by a white ground completely washed mid-light pink. Very round and ruffled blooms give as much viewing surface as possible for, what else, pink color.
Sdlg. CC245E: Z203A: (Sweet Pink x V235C: (R262A, Blazing Garnet pollen parent x Eye Of The Tiger)) X Y230A: (Kisses x V245A: (R237F, Lovable Pink sib x Portland Pink))

ZIPPY (P. Black '25)
SDB Early-midseason 11” (28cm) No fragrance.
Yellow and gold bands are the chic adornment now. Mid light salmon standards and falls are banded mid yellow. White beards are tipped coral. Colorful clumps are a standout in the garden.
Sdlg. CC246A: Z203A: (Sweet Pink x V235C: (R262A, Blazing Garnet pollen parent x Eye Of The Tiger)) X Little Band Of Gold

CHANGE OF HABIT (P. Black '25)
MTB (tet) Midseason-late 23” (58.5cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
It is easy to make a habit of this well-formed light silvery blue-violet and dark purple bitone with neat two-tone beards. Show stalks have three branches plus two spurs and 10-11 buds. Makes a lovely clump. Another very interesting parentage.
Sdlg. DD97D: Z160D: (W218A, Flirtin' Skirts sib x X145A: (U68C: (Date With Destiny x unknown) x T171A, Time For Magic pollen parent)) X Deep In The Heart

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))