BEAUTICIAN (T. Johnson ’19)
TB Midseason-Late 36” (91cm)
Pink Standards; Falls have a light pink to white ground with a lavender stitched plicata band. Orange Beards are tipped white. We really like this plicata coming from non-traditional plicata breeding at least on the mother’s side. A strong grower and a fun color combination. Large flowers have nice wide and ruffled form. We have been hybridizing heavily with BEAUTICIAN.
Sdlg TH59B: Stole the Show X unknown.

BLACK LIPSTICK (K. Keppel '16)
TB Early-Mid 35" (89 cm)
Silky smooth deep purple black including beards. From plicata breeding.
Honorable Mention 2018, Walther Cup 2018, TB Award of Merit 2021

FLIRTIN’ SKIRTS (P. Black ‘18)
MTB Early-Midseason 24” (61cm)
A new era of brightly colored, wider and more ruffled tetraploid MTBs is emerging from mixed chromosome breeding. This parentage includes SDBs, IBs, tet MTBs, BBs and TBs. The SDB pollen parent, ‘April Fanfare’, can have 2 branches and 6 buds which helps make it an excellent tet MTB parent. This bright bicolor has unique peach styles and the pattern is pumila spot plicata. ‘FLIRTIN’ SKIRTS’ will make a memorable clump. Can be used in breeding in all median classes and TBs. I’m using it to hopefully produce pumila spot plics in TBs.
Sdlg. W218B: (Black Q47C, Devil’s Delight pod parent x Teenybopper) X April Fanfare

MERRY MULBERRY (P. Black ‘19)
BB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Many lovely BBs are coming from tetraploid MTB, SDB and IB breeding and this is one with exceptional quality. Ruffled, classically formed blooms are rose mulberry bitone with buff area around tangerine beards. Strong show stalks have 3 branches plus 2 spurs with 12-14 buds. A must have for showing or in the garden.
Sdlg. X143L: U62E, involved X V182A: (R170J, Simply Coral sib x Enough is Enough)

SERGEY (T.Johnson ’16)
TB Midseason-Late 34” (86cm)
‘Sergey’ is an unsually gorgeous and subtle blue and yellow blended bicolor that was much admired at the 2015 AIS convention. It has wonderful form, growth, buds and stem. It is Being used heavily in breeding. Named in honor of our friend, Sergey Loktev, who has been a great advocate of irises and a frequent garden visitor from Russia.
Sdlg TF100A: Cameo Minx X First Avenue

THUNDERING APPLAUSE (T. Johnson ’20)
TB Early 36” (91.5cm)
Coming out of my lined pattern breeding, THUNDERING APPLAUSE pushes the pattern a step further. We are finally getting wide ruffled and even slightly laced form. Creamy white standards are infused peach pink. Falls have a light lemon base that is overlaid with violet lines radiating from the heart of the flower and becoming more of a wash near the edge. Then the whole pattern is framed by a nice lemon-yellow band. Tangerine beards help to compliment the pattern. Super strong growth on floriferous clumps.
Sdlg TJ224D TG169B:(TC143A:(TX64EE:(T101A:(NOTORIOUS x GOLDKIST) x JERSEY BOUNCE) x GIRL GONE WILD) X MARDI GRAS BALL) X TG160D:(LEAVE ME BREATHLESS SIB)

ZIG ZAG (T. Johnson ’21)
SDB Late 12” (30.5cm)
Two things immediately come to mind when I think of this flower: the brilliant beard and the wonderful wide, round and ruffled form. It could be described as a rimmed broken color plicata. A very interesting mix of several patterns in one. I have used it heavily in breeding. Zig Zag is one of many iris to be introduced out of the fantastic parent Alaia.
Sdlg TK282B: Stylish Miss X Alaia.

IN VOGUE (Blyth ‘22)
TB Early-Midseason 38” (96cm)
Sweet fragrance. Pure white standards with just the faintest pink mid-rib flush on opening. The lightly ruffled falls are soft rose to mauve pink, lightening around muted pink beards. Excellent branching. Coming from strong pink amoena breeding.
Sdlg Z88-1: Tend My Heart sib X (((((Wicked Woman x Starring) x (I'm Dreaming sib x Platinum Class sib)) x Adoree) x In High Heels sib) x (Chasing Destiny sib x Stylish Edge)).

SOMEBODY TO LOVE (T. Johnson ’22)
TB Late 34” (86cm)
Sweet fragrance. Bluish pink standards and edge on icy blue white falls. Big, bushy, frosted light blue beards add to the attraction. Nice wide form on heavily ruffled and ever so slightly laced flowers. The coloring is somewhat similar to last year’s introduction, Eyes Of An Angel. Someone To Love is more of a blue pink in color and the beards are larger. They are definitely different in the garden and have different parental heritage. Both are a great advancement in the blue bearded pink breeding lines.
Sdlg TJ135A: TD10C: (Parisian Dawn x Material Girl) X Fashion Week sib.

ABSOLUTELY YES (Paul Black 22)
IB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Smashingly colored flowers and plenty of them on perfectly proportioned show stalks. A quick description is yellow amoena plicata. Neat violet spathes. Using extensively in breeding.
Sdlg. Z166A: Taz X Cat Tales

LAST OF THE WINE (Paul Black '22)
BB Midseason-Late 26” (66cm)
Slight spicy fragrance. Here is another stop along the way to redder TBs. ‘Morning Show’ has shown in median breeding the ability produce quite red offspring and so I incorporated it into the TBs. ‘Last of the Wine’ is a mid and dark garnet bi-tone that leans well into red. Nicely branched and budded stalks.
Sdlg. Z58B: Hi Love X Black V170A: (Morning Show x Black P24B, Hi Love pollen parent

CATERPILLAR BLUES (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 32” (81cm)
No fragrance Breeding for a pure white with dark blue beard TBs has been the pursuit of many hybridizers and one that has yet to be accomplished. The link between beard saturation and petal color has been near impossible to break. The darker the beard, the bluer the petals. The whiter the petals, the lighter the beard becomes. ‘Caterpillar Blues’ is a very light reverse blue amoena with a darker blue beard. Disease resistant foliage and durable plants produce plenty of bloom stalks with 3 branches and 6-7 buds.
Sdlg. Y96A: Black V59C: (After the Rain x Black is Black) X U50A: (After the Rain x S110D: (N193A, Blue Trill sib x Blue Trill))

CROCODILE SMILE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance If I could have only one of my plicatas to breed with, it would be this one. Its genetic diversity, including several instances of ‘Dolce’ plus SDBs, IBs, tet MTBs, BBs and TBs, has given rise to unique colors and patterns in addition to solid growth. White ground standards are washed pale mustard becoming darker toward edges then embellished with darker mustard fine veining overall and white edges. Yellow styles are held within strongly held standards. Expansive white ground falls are widely plicata banded dark olive gold with more olive random dotting and line down centers, over centers and haft. Unique olive gold beards complete this unusual creature. Three branches have 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Y55A: Black U14A, Drag Race pod parent X Black W191A, Black Label pollen parent

ESSENCE OF BEAUTY (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 33” (84cm)
No fragrance. Ooh la la, all those undulating ruffles and vivid apricot, orange and pink blending decorated with even darker bold orange beards. All this lusciousness is carried on strong stalks having 3 branches and 8-9 buds. For those breeding broken color sorts, this one has B/Cs on both sides of the parentage.
Sdlg. X113B: Big Break X Black U22B: ((Magical Glow x Impulsive) x Black R170C, Simply Coral sib)

DETAIL ORIENTED (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
Slight fragrance. Peach to orange standards and narrow band on light mauve pink falls. There is a violet plicata overlay around the beard & inside the narrow band. We are using this one heavily in breeding to intensify the unique contrasting band on the falls. Nicely ruffled, flashy and charming. Sdlg. TL304A: (Sib to Alaia pod parent x (Pirate Baby x Raspberry Crisp)) X Alaia

LET ME BE THERE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweetly scented. Let Me Be There is a WOW iris that cannot be overlooked! Standards are deep lemon yellow. Falls are white with a diffused lilac border. Hafts are touched lemon. The form and ruffles are indescribable, simple gorgeous. We have used Let Me Be There heavily in our breeding program and have been glad we did. An absolute must iris! Sdlg. TL151B: Dressed To The Nines X Gala Event.

SECRET CHORD (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Light fragrance. The color of Secret Chord is hard to describe but here we go. Standards have a brassy gold base then they are washed and dotted mulberry in the center finally forming a brass band. Falls are creamy white with deep violet on either side of, (and forming a dart just below), the beard. There is a deep mulberry red fall band with purple violet dots inside the band. All in all it makes for a very startling color combo. Combine all that with wide heavily ruffled form and you have a grand garden iris. We have used Secret Chord heavily in our breeding program. It has proven to be a great parent for form and deep patterned plicatas. Sdlg. TK211ZZ: Be Not Afraid sib

BREAK THE RULES (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 34” (86cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance Marrying an IB and TB, both having exceptional branching and buds, created this wildly floriferous smaller flowered garden standout. Standards of white blossoms are widely plic marked violet blue with similar narrower band around falls. Mid gold beards are a subtle accent. Show stalks have 4 branches and rebranch creating 12-15 buds. It creates an unmistakable garden presence. Can be used to breed TBs, BBs, tet MTBs, IBs and even SDBs. Sdlg. BB169B: Silver Ice X Cat Tales

I BELIEVE (T. Johnson ’23)
BB Late 26” (66cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Pure white with a large blue signal around the beard. Orange beards. A totally unique breakthrough color and pattern in this class. It is from TB breeding but exhibits all the good traits of a BB with smaller foliage and more refined well branched stems. Beautiful!! Sdlg. TG130G: Sib to Courageous One and Simple Magic

MISPLACED DOTS (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 42” (107cm)
Slight spicy fragrance Other crosses using ‘Starry Starry Night’ have yielded more startling broken color plicatas. Plic markings on ‘Misplaced Dots’ are quite variable but the overall look is a traditional violet blue plicata. In breeding it has both the possibility of rebloom and broken color plics. Mid violet blue standards have slightly darker edge stitching and white plic centers. Styles are dark violet blue. Narrow mid violet blue plic bands encircle white falls with centers heavily and randomly dotted mid violet blue. Super tall stalks have 3-4 branches plus spur and 9-11 buds. Moderately sized blooms and stalks that flex help keep stalks upright in the wind. Sdlg. AA78A, Light the Night sib