LATE NIGHT KISS (Paul Black '22)
IB Midseason-Late 22” (56cm)
Slight musky fragrance. Need a little dramatic passion? ‘Late Night Kiss’ generates loads. Just a bit of cream ground shows on these dark beetroot standards with interior being cream with dark beetroot plicata bands. White to cream falls have very dark beetroot plicata bands. Hafts have widely spaced black veins and dart at ends of black-brown beards. Compact heavily ruffled flowers show beautifully on stalks with 2 branches and spur.
Sdlg. Z167D: Black U194G, Peppito sib X Cat Tales

CAPTURE A LITTLE SUN (Paul Black '22)
TB Early -Midseason 34” (89cmPronounced musky fragrance Ruffled flowers have warm white standards circled by wide grape juice purple plicata bands and darker styles. Moderately wide dark wine plicata bands encircle sunny yellow falls. Intriguing waxy black-brown rays spread across wide hafts. Unusual dark sienna to dark brown beards are the perfect adornment. Show stalks have 4 branches plus spur.
Sdlg. Z70L: Oh Dear X Come and Dance

STARRY STARRY NIGHT (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance It is a night you’ll long remember. Classically formed, ruffled and lightly laced purple black flowers have standards with white sanded veins over their centers that show their plicata heritage. White fall hafts have closely spaced purple black lines and sanded veins transitioning to velvety purple black falls. Butterscotch beards turn to white climaxing in a white shooting star dart for a dramatic accent. It has a stunning presence even before opening. Bud reverses have chartreuse haft centers streaking into white center bands then white veins streaking into dark purple outer bands. It is an awesome look. Sturdy growth produces 4 well-spaced branches but only 7 buds. As if this wasn’t enough, it has been a mystery progenitor of many broken color plicatas. There is nothing in the parentage to suggest this trait. I’m still exploring its potential. In one cross, about a third of the seedlings looked like it, a third were standard plicata types and a third were broken color plicatas. There is much to be explored!
Sdlg. Y161A: Me and My Shadow X Black V159B, Pleasure’s All Mine sib

STOP THE PRESSES (P. Black 22)
TB Early-Midseason 33” (84cm)
Slight musky fragrance. Few people can resist its brilliant color that makes a strong statement in the garden. Clear pink standard centers blend to rich medium orange. Mid orange falls have a marked gold undertone that showcases the vivid orange beards. Three branches produce 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. X20B, Bring on the Bright sib

JEWEL HEIST (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Midseason 11” (28cm)
Musky fragrance. Yet again another introduction from the fabulous parent Alaia. These colors are in neon. Standards and styles have pink centers with light orange edges. Falls have a pink ground with violet dots at haft and below beard. Fall edges blend from pink to orange. Enormous bushy red-orange beards. Incredible! Sdlg. TK293E: Alaia X Sweet Devotion.

SWEET BABY JANE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 11” (28cm)
Musky fragrance. Brilliant gold standards with maroon infusions in the centers. Falls have a canary yellow ground with a near solid wide deep wine plicata band and random dots and stripes below the orange beards. Sdlg. TL299B: Lava Burst sib.

BRING IN THE CLOWNS (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance Exuberantly ruffled standards and falls remind one of the exaggerated ruffles of the circus clown’s collar. Dark charcoal red brown falls show a bit of light yellow plic ground centers. Bright light-mid yellow ground falls have narrow dark charcoal red brown plic bands. White chevrons around dark old gold beards have brown-black veins and sanding. Superbly branched stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9-10 buds. If ruffles are your thing then this clown should be in your garden. Sdlg. Z100V, Felix the Cat sib

I LIKE LACE (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 30” (76cm)
Slight musky fragrance Prickly lace on lighter colored irises kicks their appeal up another notch. Heavily laced light violet standards dance above palest violet falls toned slightly darker toward their margins. Deeply sculpted texture veins add a three-dimensional quality. Light yellow beards are the perfect accessory. Two branches and 7 buds. Sdlg. AA270A: Soul Mate X Super Model
I apologize the image quality isn't the best

HOW BIZARRE! (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance My ‘Action Packed’ has given rise to many other excitingly patterned standards and falls like ‘How Bizarre!”. Pale chalky grayed violet elliptical standards centers give way to wide mid tan-gold bands heavily veined and rimmed mid red brown. Velvety purple black falls have white centers heavily veined and sanded dark purple. Old gold beards echo standards color. An easy late show winner with 3 branches and 7 buds. Strong growth and clean disease resistant foliage. Sdlg. AA73A: Laser Light Show X Black X141E: (Black U53D, Rise Like a Phoenix sib x Black U38B, Jungle Mist sib)

UNIMAGINABLE (Paul Black 23)
TB Early-Midseason 35” (89cm)
Slight musky fragrance It is difficult to say which of the newer veined standards and falls creations I like best. Each is distinctive and has its own appeal. ‘Unimaginable’ is certainly toward the top of the list. Standards are pale lilac with one inch band of dark plum and solid rim. Circular white upper half of falls is covered with black veins progressing to solid black lower half with white dotted laced rims. It is an amazing look. Three branches produce 7-8 buds. Lots of plicata in the background. Sdlg. Z95G: Black V145A: (Etcetera x Spiced Lemon) X Laser Light Show

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION (Paul Black 23)
IB Early-Late 25” (63cm)
Pronounced musky fragrance I think without a doubt this is the finest of the black and white plicata IBs. Centers of iridescent purple-black standards reveal just a bit of white plic ground. White falls have wide black plic bands with purple interior markings. Show stalks have 2 branches plus spur and 7-8 buds. Vigorous growth and increase. Stunning clumps. It is fertile. Sdlg. AA277A: Midnight Velvet X Lap of Luxury

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (Paul Black 23)
BB Late-Very Late 24” (61cm)
Slight musky fragrance You’ll return again and again to gaze upon this sultry siren. Full, classically formed flowers have smooth mid-dark garnet standards. Velvety black cherry falls are delicately edged in narrow paler ruffles. Glowing light yellow hafts are veined and sanded black cherry and adorned with smoldering burnt orange beards. Clean, vigorous growth produces show stalks with 3 branches and 7-9 buds. The IB, 'Morning Show' was used to provide a different genetic base in the quest for "the red iris". Sdlg. Z121A: Black V170A: (Morning Show x Black P248B, Hi Love pollen parent) X Black X59A, Radiant Garnet sib

SHEER MADNESS (B. Blyth ’23)
TB Early 38” (96.5cm)
Musky fragrance. Standards have lilac blue centers that are bordered in reddish violet plicata dotting. Falls have a light-yellow ground that is overlaid with light red around beard, then the ground color becomes a dark yellow that is overlaid with a dark red wash to the petal edge. A very complex color combination that is very pretty and unique. Sdlg. X213-AA:

SATIN BABY (Paul Black 23)
SDB Early-Midseason 11” (28cm)
Slight musky fragrance Everything about this baby is beautiful. Nicely ruffled standards are light-mid buffy pink as are styles. Wonderfully round ecru falls have light tan to pink blended hafts and light buffy pink ruffled band. Beards are half tangerine and half white. What a subtle beauty! Sdlg. AA181B: Breathtaking X Nutmeg Mambo

PRINCESS PRETTY PINK (Paul Black 23)
TB Midseason-Late 34” (86.5cm)
Slight musky fragrance This later blooming pink ground plicata avoids the winter damage that plagued so many earlier ones of this type. Ruffled standards are mid pink blending to mid apricot edges. Mid coral styles echo these warmer colors. Light pink falls have white luminata type patches lined mid plum. Narrow ruffled red-plum plicata bands encircle the expansive falls. Coral beards are the perfect accessory. Vigorous growth creates sumptuous clumps filled with show stalks having 3 branches and 8-10 buds. Sdlg. BB149G: Black Y135A: (All too Exciting x Fancy Ideas) X Z100G, Background Noise sib

IT’S FABULOUS (Black ’24)
MTB Tet. Early-midseason 23” (58.5cm)
Musky fragrance. Dainty mouthwatering orange blooms are borne on well-branched and budded stalks. One of the few orange MTBs. Sdlg. CC160A: Bright Victory X Dream Of Dreams

YUPPIE (Black ’24)
SDB Midseason 13” (33cm)
Musky fragrance. Like the 80’s yuppies, the standards are a bit laid back and colors more muted but with an interesting blending of color. Sdlg. BB226N: Hey Look At Me X Sweet Pink

ANKLE-BITER (Black ’24)
MDB Midseason-late 7” (18cm)
Musky fragrance. It’s the little ones you must look out for. Don’t let their size fool you; their dramatic coloring has great carrying power. Sdlg. BB212P: Black X224C: (Intoxicating x Black V322A: (Black T248C: (Black Q95A, My Cher sib x Black P168F, Total Denial sib) x Black T233A: (Black P188B: (Black M251A: (Black J392A: (Black F240A: (Sweet Bite x Black B281B: (Tweety Bird x Black 91216, Spin Again sib)) x Minidragon) x Black J282C, Amusing sib) x Tickety Boo) x Black R264: (Delayed Development x Black P189 T-beard purple, He's So Shy sib)))) X Black X233A: (Intoxicating x Spectator)

SO HAPPY TOGETHER (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Musky fragrance. The quest for a TB with blue standards and pink falls has been a long and frustrating road for many hybridizers. Along the way there are beautiful seedlings worthy of introduction, and this is one of those. Larger flowers are carried on sturdy stalks. Notice the peach pink styles peering from between violet-blue standards. Standards are a blended light blue-violet and pink. Falls are blended light orchid pink with a slight buff center stripe below the beard. Sdlg. BB86E: Bubbly Beauty X For Lovers Only

FUNKY TOWN (Black ’24)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Musky fragrance. Over-the-top color and pattern are its hallmark. Is there room left for anything else? Thirty years ago such things were hardly imaginable. Veined and banded standards rise above falls with contrasting hafts, cascading centers, and a contrasting band. Wow! Add to that well-branched stalks with three branches and a spur with 10-12 buds. Get on board for the Funky Town Express. Sdlg. BB21A: Flash Of Brilliance X Espionage