Grow your garden with help from Alexa

Brooke, an Amazon fulfillment center employee, recently opted to try a new hobby: gardening. While her initial journey proved challenging, she eventually realized a digital tool she used for support inside her home could also help her outside.

Read more about Brooke’s venture into gardening, in her own words:

I decided to jump into gardening a few months ago. Life can get busy with work and everything else happening in the world, so I thought gardening would help me relax. To be honest, I had never gardened before. While I own an Echo and use Alexa to listen to music and podcasts, set alarms and timers, send announcements to my boyfriend, Charlie, and for Routines, I had an epiphany one day that I could ask Alexa to help with gardening. I haven’t looked back!

I found Carmen Johnston Gardens, an Alexa skill that allows you to connect with Carmen and learn her top tips to maximize your garden, shortly after I kicked off my new hobby. It’s been a game changer. For background, my front yard shade planter was slowly and sadly dying. I realized I had been watering it too much. With Carmen's help, I learned how to bring life back to the planter. She explained in detail the appropriate container to use, her favorite and suggested plants, the best potting soil, and much more.

An image of a planter with a tall, orange flower sprouting out the top of it with green plants and white flowers lower in the planter.

I love how Carmen shares tips and tricks, step by step, for whatever gardening needs I may have. She offers help with landscaping, indoor plants, and even recipes, among other things. For example, I started planting a vegetable garden in my backyard after I was graciously given a wooden vegetable bed. Carmen shared with me how to place my plants evenly and where, the importance of identifying and labeling each plant, and the benefit of using seed tape (I had no idea that was a thing before!). Because of Carmen, I realized that I should use a wire cage for cucumbers so they can grow up the trellis—who would’ve known? I can even ask Alexa to add all of the items that Carmen uses to my Amazon shopping cart for easy access.

An image of a planter box with dark brown soil and green plants growing out of it.

With Carmen’s help, my gardening journey has become much smoother, and fun. When I first started, I was constantly questioning myself. Was I watering too much or too little? What type of soil should I get for the vegetable bed? Should the plants be in part shade or full sun? Today, I’ve got a beautiful herb, fruit, and vegetable garden filled with lavender, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, and flora.

And Alexa made things infinitely easier and more convenient. Had I not asked Alexa, I don’t think I would’ve learned about Carmen! There’s so much to explore with Alexa and so many skills to try. While I’ve now tackled gardening, I’m already moving onto the next and can’t wait to sharpen my cooking skills with the Food Network Kitchen and some treats from my garden.

An image of a woman standing in front of a row of plants at a garden store. There is a shopping cart in front of her with a plant in it.

Brooke at the gardening store.

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Try asking Alexa to set a reminder to water your plants or how the weather is faring, and check out the many Alexa skills and features that can support you with your new hobbies, whether gardening or beyond.

If you have a story of your own about how you use Alexa, we'd love to hear it and will continue sharing some of our favorite #AlexaStories. You can email us or tag us on

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