Summer Garden Contest entry #17 by Chris Nordstrom

Welcome to week 4 of our Summer Garden Contest--a "fun run for gardeners," as described by one reader. Last month we asked you to tell us about your garden, and we received many beautiful photos and stories about creative gardens around town.

Chris Nordstrom's rain garden is entry #17 to our Summer Garden Contest. Click below this story in the "More Info" section to check out previous entries.

Nordstrom writes:

"After much prodding from my neighbors, I've decided to send in a couple of shots of my rain garden. Hopefully I'm not too late!   "While I'm constantly tinkering with the rain garden, adding new species here and there, this garden really shows why a little planning can be so important in any garden design. I designed this one to have a variety of textures, forms, and colors, and the end result is a constantly evolving set of colors and shapes to keep the space interesting throughout the year. The two shots I'm including show just how dramatically the garden can change in less than a month.   "What I'm especially pleased with is the fact that this garden is both beautiful and functional. During last month's four-inch rain event, the garden held all of the stormwater runoff from my roof and driveway with no trouble at all, and the standing water drained away within 24 hours. Wonderful!"

Like Nordstrom's garden? Keep watching this space daily to see more beautiful entries to our Summer Garden Contest.

After we've showcased all the gardens that were submitted, we'll post a poll and let you vote on your favorite. The garden with the most votes at the close of the poll will be featured in an upcoming story in the print edition of AnnArbor.com.