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Garden Variety, hosted by Charity Nebbe

Catalog descriptions and garden center tags can make every cultivar sound like the best one, but firsthand experience can make all the difference. Horticulture specialist Dan Fillius of Iowa State University shares the cultivars he loves to plant and what makes them stand out in a home garden.

To further grow your gardening knowledge, sign up for our Garden Variety newsletter. And check out all the episodes of  Garden Variety, the horticulture podcast for all the things you’d like to grow or grow better.

Guests:

  • Dan Fillius, horticulture extension specialist, Iowa State University
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Charity Nebbe is the host of 'Talk of Iowa'. She also hosts IPR's podcasts 'Garden Variety' and 'Unsettled'. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.
Aaron Steil is a Consumer Horticulture Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. Aaron contributes his expertise to the Garden Variety podcast and newsletter and to Talk of Iowa's Horticulture Day program.
Zoe Bentler is a 2025 fall intern with IPR's talk show team and a senior at the University of Iowa studying journalism and sport, media and culture with a minor in dance. She is originally from Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Her favorite things include keeping up with the current fashion world and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeye sports teams.