These day lilies border a parking area near some excellent garter habitat. Beyond them is a small mowed meadow, then scrubby weeds, woods, river and swampy seasonal wet areas.

The flower beds are the best cover in an open sunny area close to the dense wet woods these snakes like for food and reproduction- they're also safe refuge from the lawnmower.

Garters in clumps of grass dive into the thatch and the tunnels in it when danger approaches- its extremely hard to spot them as they flee between hummocks. The daylilies are isolated, surrounded bythe wood chips, very short grass, and gravel. Snakes are reluctant to leave their clump, but when they do they are fairly easy to spot until they reach the woods.