Summer Garden Contest entry #19 by Walter Fisher

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.

Walter Fisher's shade garden is entry #19 to our Summer Garden Contest. Click below this story in the "More Info" section to check out previous entries.

Fisher writes:

"Image #1 is of our shade garden located at our home in northwest Ann Arbor. It is special to us because of the handmade wooden fence that surrounds the garden, which keeps out the 13 or so deer that roam our neighborhood. Before the fence, just as any new blossoms were to open, the deer would strike in the shadows, and our hearts would sink. The deer think hostas are spinach salad.

"Image #2 in the shade garden is as simple as chive blossoms, but our protected garden contains peony, delphinium, shasta daisies, columbine, clematis, hosta, bee balm, iris, New England aster, heliopsis, primrose, black-eyed Susan, day lilies, and phlox. In the spring, the beautiful trillium, wild geranium, jack in the pulpit, May apple, blue bells, tulips, and much more usher in the season. Thank goodness for the fence!"

Like Fisher'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.