BREAK MY HEART (T. Johnson ’21)
TB Mid-Late 36” (91cm)
The first of many introductions this year from the wonderful parent Dressed to the Nines. White standards with lemon centers becoming faint veining to petal edge. Falls are a deep rich red violet with a very light lavender band and then a gold edge. The beards are tangerine tipped violet. Very nice ruffled form on fantastic show stems. Break My Heart is a strong bloomer covering itself with flowers. Fabulous!!
Sdlg: TJ252C: Dressed to the Nines X When Doves Cry.

SHARP DRESSED MAN (T.Johnson '10)
TB Early Midseason 36” (91cm)
He’s tall, dark and handsome and draws the eye of anyone walking by. Only the finest clothes will do for this Sharp Dressed Man. Standards are iridescent mid purple. Elegantly ruffled purple black falls have a velvety texture and slightly lighter rim. Only someone so confident could get by with such an outrageous orange tie. Show stalks with 3-4 branches and 10-12 buds help insure a superior garden performance. Robust, healthy growth. Colors are exceptionally clear.
Sdlg. TZ58A: Paul Black X Saturn. A fantastic iris that blooms heavily with show stalks galore and is consistently good year to year. Wister Medal; First runner up to the Dykes 2017.

HOUSE OF LIGHT (Thomas Johnson ’22)
TB Early-Midseason 34” (86cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards have golden yellow centers and icy blue-white edges. Falls are golden yellow with a white flash that extends from just below the beard and blends into a gold band near the petal edge. House Of Light is a very vigorous grower and is always one of the very first to start blooming. Strong show stems with ample buds make it an early season showstopper. A nice iris to kickstart the TB season.
Sdlg TK164B: TG403A: (unknown ) X sib to Just A Crush.

ALGORITHM (Paul Black '22)
SDB Early-Midseason 13” (33cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Paler fall centers of icy blue white flowers have fine brassy olive lines precisely surrounded on each side with lighter tan shadows. The look is captivating and as far as I know, it is the first instance of this sort of pattern.
Sdlg. AA199C: Lucky X Mini Mouse

I’M IN LOVE (Paul Black '22)
SDB Midseason-Late 15” (38cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Yes, it was love a first sight and that hasn’t changed in its subsequent years of evaluation. It is at the top of my favorite SDBs. Bright, cheery and personable are good descriptors for it. White styles peer from inside bright yellow standards veined and toned slate violet in upper third. Bright yellow luminata patches give way to white shoulders blending to light lilac washed falls veined overall dark lilac. Two toned orange and marigold beards add fiery passion. Variable color and markings. Fabulous parent.
Sdlg. AA219A: Tourist Trap X Bazinga

BACKGROUND NOISE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Two of this year’s introductions are from this cross that produced many delightful seedlings. ‘Me and My Shadow’ has proven to be a solid parent for quality later blooming hardy plicatas. Light blending to dark butterscotch standards have fine darker caramel veining. Styles are darker butterscotch with styles veined brown. Crisp white falls are decorated with wide dark burgundy plicata bands while near black irregular lines descend part way down their centers. Three well-spaced branches carry 7-8 buds. A vigorous and hardy plicata.
Sdlg. Z100I: Me and My Shadow X First Pick

HASHTAG (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 12” (30.5cm)
Slight fragrance. Very light yellow-orange standards. Falls have a white ground that is completely lined with deep maroon red lines and veins. The hafts are touched yellow. Beards are white with tangerine hair tips. Very striking and the first lined SDB in this color that we know of. The parents of this one are the two iris named after our two little dogs. Sdlg. TM175A: Alaia X Tula.

LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB early-midseason 35” (89cm)
Lightly scented. LOVELY LIVVY (T. Johnson ’23) TB early-midseason 35” (89cm) Lightly scented. This gorgeous iris is named to honor the late great Olivia Newton-John. Olivia was not only a very talented celebrity but she was a gorgeous human being. Although I never met her, I certainly followed her career and life. Always a kind, warm and loving person, she never acted the celebrity, taking time to acknowledge all who came upon her. She courageously fought breast cancer in an out of remission for 20 years. Never one to complain she always looked on the positive side of things. The latter part of her life was dedicated to finding a cure for Cancer. She founded the Oliva Newton-John Cancer And Wellness Centre In Melbourne, Australia, the country she called home. Here she tirelessly raised money to support cancer research using plant-based treatments. Lovely Livvy was the pet name the media used throughout Olivia’s life to describe her. The iris we have chosen to honor her kind of named itself. Firstly, it is pink, the color of breast cancer awareness. On top of that, I made the cross in the garden of Barry and Lesley Blyth (using two of Barry’s seedlings), who live only miles from where Olivia grew up. Lovely Livvy is an extraordinary and unique creation in a color combination that has not yet been seen in iris until now. White standards are flushed pink. Falls are a deeper rose pink with a gorgeous ruffled white band. Olivia with her kind and generous heart inspired me to do my part, so I donated a portion of the proceeds of each plant sold in its introductory year (2023) to her Cancer research centre in Australia. Sdlg. TJ335B: X267-12 (U232-1: (S290-3: Raise the Curtain x Another Woman) x (S69-1: (02-185c: Restless Heart x Queen’s Circle) x (02-191B: Tour De France x Rippling River))) x Bashful Love. X Walk Right Back pod parent.

REFINED ELEGANCE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. The first thing that comes to mind about Refined Elegance is form! It was stunning in the fields this past spring. Lemon yellow standards are shot lilac up the midrib. Falls are a rosy lilac being deeper at the haft and lighter at the edge. A heavy wash of lemon on either side of the beard helps to accentuate the ruffles. This is a beautiful iris in a different sort of color pattern than we have seen. Sdlg. TK131WW: Head Of the Class sib.

OH SO DIFFERENT (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 30” (76cm)
No fragrance It takes center stage with one of the most dramatically unique flowers. Standards and falls are both a study in color and pattern. Light buffy tan blended standards are widely banded with fine dark plum filigree. Old gold style crests striped dark brown emerge from between them. White falls are a puzzle of purple black veins and sanding overall becoming darker and more closely spaced toward edges. White stitching on reverses adds more distinction. Mid marigold beards help focus the eye. Of course, this has been a favorite since it first bloomed. Three branches have 8-9 buds. Easy and fast growth. Sdlg. AA73L, How Bizarre! 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

FREE AT LAST (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 40” (102cm)
Sweet fragrance. The photo says it all with this iris. The gorgeous wide, ruffled and impeccable form of the flowers first comes to mind. The ruffled medium yellow standards have a slight pink flush in the centers. Falls are cream with deeper yellow hafts and a lacy yellow edge. Sdlg. TL70ZZ: Slice Of Heaven X Painted Shadows

TOTAL SURPRISE (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason. 37” (94cm)
Slight fragrance. Total surprise indeed is what happened when this one first bloomed. Certainly not what I was expecting, but happy for sure. White standards have a yellow blush to them. Falls are rust to red with a white spray pattern around the beard and a light lavender to white band. Total Surprise is the product of two great parents, who have both proven their worth over and over again. Sdlg. TL137ZZ: When Doves Cry X Dressed To The Nines

GOLD JEWELRY (P. Black '25)
BB Midseason-late 27” (68.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
A master craftsman created this bit of perfection. Perfectly formed ruffled flowers, perfect BB proportion, perfectly branched and budded stalks, and strong growth make this a primo selection. Flowers are deep gold with marigold beards that can be seen from across the garden.
Sdlg. CC127B: Spiced Apples X Z145I: (V385B: (First Lady Of Spring x Silver Ice) x V168A: (Coral Splendor x Simply Coral))

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))

DAINTY BRIDE (P. Black '25)
SDB Late-very late 14” (35.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
It is another of my late blooming, multiple budded and branched SDBs. The flowers are a miniaturized version of Bride’s Halo. White flowers have narrow light yellow bands. Show stalks have three branches and 8-9 buds. Unheard of for a SDB. From two of my favorite varieties.
Sdlg. CC151F: Silver Ice X First Lady Of Spring

DARK EYED LASS (P. Black '25)
SDB Early-midseason 10” (25.5cm) Pronounced sweet fragrance.
Here it is, the one many of you have been asking about since I first posted its picture on FB. I’m also in love with it. It is one of those irises where everything works together to make a stunning creation. Light yellow standard centers blend to wide stark white bands. Irregularly edged big brown-black fall spots transition to wide white bands, including a white dart up their distal center. A nest of white darts encircles white beards. OH MY!
Sdlg. DD163A: BB248A, Touch Of Turquoise sib X Zaa Zaa Zing

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))

BOUNCING BLUE BETTY (P. Black '25)
TB Midseason-late 34” (86.5cm) Slight spicy fragrance.
I’ll leave it to you to figure out which Betty and where the bounce is. Is it in her footsteps? She is elegantly appealing. Ruffled icy white standards echo the interesting white falls that are delicately washed pale blue to several shades darker toward their edges. Statuesque stalks can have 4 branches with 11-12 buds. Put some bounce in your garden.
Sdlg. CC76A: Z40B: (V67A: (R72A: (Fancy Dog x M80CC: (First Page x Man About Town)) x Blueberry Parfait) x V191D: (R174B: (Frontline x Bluebird Of Happiness) x Dancing Star)) X X1A: (Adriatic Waves x All Ashore)

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