With a return of cooler temperatures I must take advantage to tidy up before the heat returns. The late crop of winter weeds is now mostly under control, but in this acre and a quarter garden weeding is an endless chore. Which is not to say that I work at it endlessly, but any time that I am motivated there are abundant weeds to be pulled.

I recently commented on the brown snake in the koi pond, and my wife corrects me that it is a Northern Brown snake. After so many years I should know better than to question her, so now this is settled. Except, there are now two snakes in the pond, the larger one that has returned after my wife chased it off late last summer, and a smaller newcomer. Though the two were only partially visible beneath a boulder at the pond’s edge, I believe they were engaged in actions that might result in more snakes in the pond.

My wife has decided that the two, or however many there might be, must go, and she doesn’t care if their eviction requires violence. I’m not certain how I can capture or otherwise discourage them when they simply swim to the far side of the large pond as soon as I come close. I must be cautious where I step and reach knowing there’s a snake around, but now with two I’m tending to side with my wife. I wonder how to accomplish their eviction.

The Exbury azaleas are completely covered in blooms this afternoon, and in contrast to the faint or nonexistent scent of typical evergreen azaleas, the Exbury azaleas are sweetly scented. While the tall evergreen ‘Delaware Valley White’ is quite splendid, ‘Klondyke’ (I think) is a sight to behold, and other oranges and pinks are quite magnificent. These are tall growing shrubs that are unremarkable after flowering, but there are few shrubs to match this show of color.