Tomato vs. The Gardener Snake: A Mingle Hill Farm Tale

It was a peaceful afternoon in the farm store—lavender swaying in the breeze, bees humming, and the faint scent of oregano and thyme in the air. But peace, as we’ve come to learn, doesn’t always last at Mingle Hill.
Enter: Tomato the cat.
Tabby, fluffy, opinionated. Our Saucy Tomato. 
From the back corner of the store came the unmistakable sound of tiny paws scampering… followed by a sudden pounce!  And there she was—Tomato—proudly dragging something long, slithery, and very much alive toward her bedroom. A garter snake. Our second surprise visitor this month.

But before Tomato could finish his demonstration of "how to be a mighty hunter," in swooped Ashley, bare-handed, lightning-fast, and entirely unfazed. In a swift, heroic tug-of-war (cat vs. human), Ashley managed to wrestle the snake from Tomato's determined jaws and won.
The snake was released safely under the grapevines, where it slithered away with dignity intact. (Tomato, on the other hand, sulked for a solid hour.)

No snakes were harmed.
Tomato has resumed patrol.
The grape leaf, where our guest now resides, is rich in Vitamin E and known to help protect the skin naturally from UV damage. One of the many herbs we infuse into our skincare.

About Garter Snakes in Southern Ontario: Garter snakes (often misheard as “gardener snakes”) are non-venomous, shy, and incredibly helpful in garden ecosystems. In Southern Ontario, they’re among the most common reptiles and can often be found sunning themselves or hiding under rocks, mulch, or apparently in farm stores.
They help control pests like slugs and insects and are completely harmless to humans (and even to cats… mostly).
If you spot one, let them be! They’re protected under Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and they’re doing important work beneath your feet.

So the next time you visit the farm store, keep an eye out, you might just see Tomato on patrol.