This traditional Ukrainian heirloom tomato was renamed to Cosmonaut Volkov in honour of a deceased Russian cosmonaut. Ted tells a whole lot more.

Singing Gardener: Fruits of the vine — heirloom tomato and heirloom melon

Don’t forget to enter Ted’s tomato seed draws

If you’ve ever attended live theatre, you may have experienced a curtain raiser. It’s a short, dramatic piece performed before the main play or event of the evening. That’s not to say there’s no such thing as live theatre in the afternoon as there certainly is. Now just imagine yours truly standing at the mike […] Read more

This is a colourful view of Jennie Van Straalen’s enormous mass-planted impatiens floral bed containing over 500 plants.

Singing Gardener: Ted talks about tomatoes

Plus, Butcher’s Broom, witch’s broom, and big-batch bran muffins

Welcome to the Grainews Singing Gardener˜. Seems the subject of tomatoes is never far away, so I’ll be doing some Ted Talk in that connection. We’ve all heard of Flin Flon, Manitoba, border city to immediately adjacent Creighton, Saskatchewan. I, Ted, wrote a song called “Flin Flon’s Rock Garden” and the late Irvin Freese wrote and recorded “The […] Read more


Loving that Tema green bean

Loving that Tema green bean

Plus, Ted shares some letters and hears from some seniors

Occasionally my song “Green Beans and Ripe Tomatoes” gets aired over some radio station. Apart from that I sometimes sing it at personal appearances. Here on this Grainews page my audience and I get together via the printed word. For starters, I’ve something to say about beans. In my April 7, 2015 closing tag I […] Read more

woman holding a tomato

All about tomatoes

Plus, Movember moustache month, and a carrot cough remedy

Don’t know whether Theresa Tanguay from Austin, Manitoba impressed the neighbours, but she sure impressed the Singing Gardener. Even her husband Armand Tanguay commented, “one slice of that tomato fills a sandwich and easily covers a slice of bread.” Armand’s the sheep farmer in the family and during 47 years of happy marriage he still […] Read more


Sliced tomatoes on a dinner plate.

Travel down Tomato Trail with Ted

The Singing Gardener: Plus, how do you handle your tomato issues?

Does that sound a bit like a spoken jingle when you read it out loud? Use your imagination for a moment. Let’s pretend we’ve gathered together in the greenhouse where it’s nice and warm and are enjoying a cup of energy tea. You’ve caught me sippin’ on a cup of energizing organic Cardamom Chai loose-leaf […] Read more