This weekend was our weekend to finish the odds and ends of projects. Hubby had plenty of home 'to do' list items while I was once again dodging rain drops outside.

Last fall I began the what should have been a easy planting bed project. It's one of those areas you see from the back yard. I'm sure we all have those spots in our yards. Ours is the back wall of the garage. It's big, long and yellow.

Last year I removed the grass and planted chokeberry bushes in the area. They were chosen for their size, delicate white flowers and juicy dark purple berries. It's one of those bushes seldom know about and when they first hear the name think I'm crazy.

Don't worry folks I'm not poisoning my kids! Chokeberries are simply a cross between a blackberry and cherry. It's the type of bush only spoken of and remembered by our Grandparents or at local farmer's markets.


I spent all winter looking at the wall as you see it above and still felt as if the area needed something. This spring I hit the jackpot at our local garden center with a 50% off sale on 3 matching trellises and 3 clematis vines with red blooms. Squeeee!


As I finished installing my goodies I noticed there was nothing in front of the service door. A path was certainly required here so off to the local garden center for some flagstone pieces. Voila!


Now I know I'm supposed to be 'done' with this project but I'm wondering if I should add some small perennials in front of the chokeberries? Perhaps some English Lavender to send a lovely fragrance throughout the air as you pass by or pick berries?

Now for the question I'm sure some of you have: How do you use the chokeberry? The best eating are preserves, pies, sauces or syrups. I plan on using them for jelly.

I guess I could go through the long process of giving you a recipe or even showing you how to make jelly but there are so many sites available for this so I'll just give you the link for one of my favorite sites.