PULL ME CLOSE (Thomas Johnson ’22)
TB Midseason 36” (91cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards are a rich shade of salmon pink extending out to become veining as it moves towards the icy blue border. Style arms peek through with the same rich salmon coloration. Falls are white with light salmon hafts and a blue blended band becoming deeper toward the edge. The form is wide and overlapping at the hafts with good ruffles. Easy growth and strong stems make this a real garden standout. A favorite of mine and of visitors to the garden. A very pretty combination.
Sdlg TK199C: sister to Just Wanting Attention and Festival of Lights.

EXPANDING UNIVERSE (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. This cross is another that yielded many quality seedlings from which choices had to be made as to what goes and what stays. Big broad and heavily ruffled flowers are presented on strong show stalks. Standards have wide purple black plicata bands and only centers show their white ground. Styles are near black. Super wide falls are warm white shaded buff over hafts. Dark purple plicata bands encircle the falls and unusual waxy black chevrons surround rich dark black-brown beards. Strong show stalks have 3 branches and spur to show of 10-12 buds. A must have.
Sdlg. Z74H: Goat Rodeo sib

ON THE COVER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards are the darkest red violet with a very light rose edge. Falls are an intense shade of black mulberry with a thin light margin of light rose. There is just a touch of orange on either side of the white luminata patch. On The Cover is a very dark luminata but to the red tones of purple black where as many other dark luminatas currently on the market are to the blue tones of black. A little shorter in stature than some of the others but she certainly packs a lot of punch securing her place on the cover of the catalogue this year. Sdlg. TK22A: sister to last years intro
Spine Tingler.

ONCE AND FOR ALL (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 29” (74cm)
Lightly scented. Standards are a very rich shade of peach to orange. Falls are a deep plush burgundy to near black with a light burgundy rose band and then a deeper rose pencil edge. Beards are tangerine with burgundy hair tips. This makes a spectacular clump that will stop you in your tracks. Sdlg. TK150YY: Reverse sib to Can’t Stop loving You.

VAVAVOOM (L. Miller ’23)
TB SA Midseason-late 31” (79cm)
Light fragrance. A difficult to describe shade of orange. A blend of coral, peach, and orange depending on the lighting. Crisp, nicely ruffled flowers with flaring falls are well placed on strong stalks. The deep coral orange beards are completed by the upturned horns. Fuzzy horns are always consistent along with 7 to 9 buds. Sdlg. 4317B: 7414B: (Swoosh x (High Spirited x Autumn Reisling)) X 9013C: ((7211: ( In Love Again x Super Model) x Fiesta Orange)).

ASSURED (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Midseason-late 37” (94cm)
Light fragrance. Assured is a different shade of pink. Standards are a medium blue pink. Falls are lighter with deeper texture veins and a darker edge. Coral pink beards add a nice touch of elegance. Nicely branched and budded stems. Sdlg. TL163XX: (Full Of Grace x Pick-up Line) X Ballroom Belle

OUT OF CHARACTER (T. Johnson ’24)
TB Early-midseason 38” (97cm)
Sweet fragrance. Deep golden yellow standards, deeper in the center. Falls are a medium blue purple with a wide red haft bar that extends out below the beard and then blends into the blue purple. There is a buff yellow fall edge setting the stage for the wild beards. Beards are yellow with long horns or flounces in shades of purple. Out Of Character was given its name because it is not always consistent with its horns. Some years they are very consistent throughout; other years it is less so. Either way it is a beautiful well- formed iris with excellent growth and stems. Sdlg. TL184XX: What A Circus X ((Tango Express sib x Danger Money) x Hooked On A Feeling)

LOVE YOU MORE (T. Johnson ’25)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
In the continuing quest for that perfectly clean pink amoena comes Love You More. White standards are flushed pink in the centers. Falls are a gorgeous shade of pink, with deeper texture veins. It is a really lovely color combination that is stunning in the fields. Classically formed flowers are held on nicely branched and budded stems. Really gorgeous.
Sdlg. TM243ZZ: Regal Impact X Love Comes

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)

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

PICTURE PERFECT MOMENT (Paul Black 26)
TB Late-very late 32” (81.5cm) Slight musky fragrance.
Its lavish ruffles and lace, that harken to a baroque time of sumptuous excess, will make it a focal point in any garden. Tightly formed blooms have rich deep lilac standards. Lilac falls transition from darker shades at their edges to lighter, almost lavender-tinted, centers. Vibrant orange beards hit a high note. Hefty rhizomes produce strong stalks with 2 branches and 7-8 buds. Heavy substance ensures its striking presence, no matter the weather. Sdlg. DD13A: So Much More X Black AA270B: (Soul Mate x Super Model)

READY FOR DESSERT (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Midseason-late 36” (91cm) Slight sweet fragrance.
Perhaps I think about food too much, but I certainly think of dessert when I see this iris! It is the most yummy combination of colors, accentuated by heavy ruffles and lace. Truly a stunning iris! Flesh pink standards are a deeper shade in the center. Falls are white, with a very wide, ruffled, and laced medium orchid band. A touch of pink at the hafts on either side of the soft coral and white beard add perfectly to the elegance. A perennial favorite every year since its maiden bloom. Sdlg. TO187L: Anti Hero sibling

SHOPPING SPREE (Thomas Johnson ’26)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91cm) Light fragrance.
Bright, bright, and more bright are the best words to describe Shopping Spree. Standards are creamy white, with medium orange centers that transition to yellow orange veins. Falls are the most intense and brilliant shade of orange, with matching beards. Not quite as ruffled as some of the rest, but certainly a garden standout. Sdlg. TM47YY: Heard A Rumor sibling