The year was 2008 and it seems every year I fall in love with a new iris, especially if I attend the American Iris Society National Convention for the year. This year was no exception as the new iris to catch my eye was ‘Have A Goodun’ by Tom Burseen. What did this iris have over the hundreds of other cultivars and seedlings? It had presence. With an average stalk and height, compared with others around it, no matter the garden, ‘Have A Goodun’ caught you and drug you across the garden to look at it. Was it perfect? Well no, but it had that X-factor for me that I had to have it. Since that fateful day I received ‘Have A Goodun’ for my collection I was impressed. Within two months of planting two rhizomes I had ten increases and by spring I had enough to produce 8 stalks. No matter where or how I used it in hybridizing I got a pod with greater than normal number of seeds. While other tall bearded iris fell in the heavy down pours, I lost a flower or two from ‘Have A Goodun’. With the heat and humidity of summer and the onslaught of leaf spot ‘Have A Goodun’ was barely affected for I had put sand around it thinking it was from Texas and needed the extra drainage. Whatever the reason this is an iris that will stay in my collect for many years to come. I have learned from this experience it just might be better to spend that money on new introductions as they come available for the improvements in color and disease resistance.
