Welcome to Louise's Utopia, please read on...

Balloon Flower Coteau Valley Farm Has there been a time while dallying in the garden, a little unknown sprout appears? Your gardening mind panics, and it goes into survival mode. I must tear this unknown menace out quickly, because it must be a weed! Thoughts run wild. Wait! Before you rip the roots from the earth in a hissy, think hard. Has the fashionably late blue flower arrived? If you're interested in how the balloon flower compares in the garden, or if it is a good cu

Harvesting Black-Eyed Susan Seeds Coteau Valley Farm Many folks may believe that having a garden is a spring or summer hobby. They may think that when fall comes around, gardeners kick up their toes and relax on the sofa with some bonbons. But that is far from reality! I know that the fall season is not a time to rest indoors while the garden freezes outdoors. The only relaxing I do in the fall is to admire, admire, admire! Fall is the time to harvest all those lovely seeds t

Well, it's that time of year again to get outside and find some pumpkins! It's always fun to go and collect them from a pumpkin patch, or better yet, grow them yourself. Ever wonder why Jack-O-Lanterns start growing in shades of green, and then by fall, they are that warm orange color that we all love? This year, my family began worrying and wondering about our patch of pumpkins. In fact, they thought I had planted the wrong pumpkin seeds in the field! They asked numerous ti

Has there ever been a time in your gardening life when, upon grabbing a shovel to dig, the handle splits in two? Well, I have had this happen to me a time or two. I am always really upset about it. One reason I am miffed is that I feel like I just lost fifty bucks on a shovel. Another is that I do not want to take the time to replace a handle on a shovel. It is time-consuming. Furthermore, the repair parts are just as cheaply made as the original shovel. I also know that when

If you're the kind of gardener who likes variety, then look no further! The Kobold Gayfeather is a bold ally to have in any garden. A native wildflower of the United States, this baby will please. The Gayfeather offers superb elegance. Thin, grassy leaves grow in a thick bunch at the base of the plant. These leaves spread a glorious twenty-four inches wide! The clump of slender leaves adds class. They take up space with a chic style. The thin stems grow upwards of a towering

Flame grass in winter, Northeast South Dakota It's that time of the year again in the garden. The leaves are turning their yellows and...