Growing a Garden in Amarillo, Texas: A Busy Mom’s Journey
This blog is a little different from my usual posts! Today, I’m sharing one of my hobbies, gardening. Full disclaimer: I am not a master gardener. I’ve done minimal research, so this is all trial and error. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes! Also, I’m just a busy mom looking for ways to get my kids to eat more veggies. When I decided to start a vegetable garden was because I was desperate in finding ways to help my girls enjoy eating veggies. So I started a garden with their help, and this little experiment worked, my daughters have enjoyed getting their hands dirty and have tried so many more vegetables. They’ve loved eating them because they enjoyed watching the vegetables grow through each stage. Now my girls are anxiously waiting to start this season in the garden.
My Gardening Cheat Sheet
My biggest gardening hack? Reading the back of the seed packet! It tells you everything you need to know from when to start sowing, how deep to plant, and how far apart to space your seeds. In Amarillo, Texas, we’re in Zone 7, which affects when we can plant and how long our growing season lasts.
If keeping track of zones feels overwhelming, my sweet grandmother-in-law shared a simple tip: Start your garden after Mother’s Day. It’s an easy way to remember when the risk of frost has passed, making it safer to plant.
What I’ve Grown (And What I’ve Learned)
Last year, I planted:
Carrots (Hit with the kids)
Spinach (My daughter’s favorite vegetable to grow)
Peppers (Smaller than expected)
Basil (Reminded me of Pizza, just smells like pizza)
Cilantro (fail)
Celery (Bigger than expected)
Green beans (Half fail, couldn’t find the beans, so most of the dried beans, look for beans under the vines)
Strawberries (FAV)
Squash (fail)
Onions (Half fail - pulled the onions too soon, good rule of thumb, plant onions the last week of February)
Tomatoes (fail)
The squash and tomatoes struggled, likely because of our intense summer heat. Tomatoes, in particular, need consistent moisture and some afternoon shade to thrive in Amarillo’s scorching sun.
My favorite plant to grow was strawberries. They grow quickly and send out vines (called runners). If you want more strawberry plants, let them vine out and root. But if you want more fruit, trim the runners so the mother plant focuses on producing berries. I found a happy balance by letting the baby plants take root, then cutting the vine once they were established.
Starting Small
When I first started gardening, I didn’t dive straight into fruits and vegetables. I began with a wildflower garden before moving on to produce. If you’re new to gardening, you might start even simpler with an indoor herb garden. Cilantro, basil, and dill grow easily on a sunny windowsill. (Fun fact: Cilantro actually prefers cooler temperatures, so it often does better indoors where it won’t bolt in the heat.)
Follow My Gardening Journey
I’m excited for another season of trial and error! If you want to follow along, check out my social media and email list for updates. I hope this was helpful—happy gardening!
Ready to Show Off Those Green Thumbs?
Celebrate the beauty you’ve grown—and the moms who nurture it all—at my Greenhouse Mother’s Day Mini Sessions!
Nestled inside a lush, light‑filled greenhouse in Amarillo, these 20‑minute photo sessions capture mothers and their littles surrounded by thriving plants and dreamy filtered sunshine. Each booking includes:
3 hand‑edited digital images
Special Discount at Nettie’s Garden on the day of the event!
Spots are limited and bloom faster than spring tulips. Reserve your Greenhouse Mini today!!
Happy planting, friend, and I’ll see you among the greenery!
