Sarah Jay, Author at Epic Gardening

Close-up of different seed packets on the store counter. Botanical Interests seed packets are characterized by their visually appealing and informative design. Featuring vibrant and detailed botanical illustrations, these packets provide a clear depiction of the mature plant's appearance, complete with flowers, foliage, and sometimes fruit.

How to Read a Seed Packet

What do you get when you buy Botanical Interests seeds? Master Naturalist Sarah Jay outlines all the information contained in one of our seed packets and how to read it here.

Mulch

Rocks are often used as mulch in gardens, but are they the best choice? Master Naturalist Sarah Jay takes a deep dive into the topic, outlining the types of rocks you can garden with and how to use them.

Seeds

How to Sow Seeds in Cell Trays

Master Naturalist Sarah Jay is getting ready for seed-starting at her home in Texas. In this piece, she considers seed cells, their use, and the types out there on the market.

Herbs

How to Create Simple Herbal Tea Blends From the Garden

Texas Master Naturalist Sarah Jay loves a good cup of herbal tea any time of day and year. Here, Sarah outlines some awesome recipes for tea from our friend, herbal enthusiast PNW Ana, that you can grow in your own garden.

Close-up of a man's hand holding a wooden spoon full of yellow fertilizer granules over a potted Philodendron King of Spades plant indoors. The plant has pinkish stems and large, deeply lobed leaves of a glossy, rich green color.

Houseplants

Should I Fertilize Houseplants in Winter?

Understanding the growth cycles of plants is a vested interest of Master Naturalist Sarah Jay. Here, she’ll give you all you need to know about fertilizing houseplants in winter.

Vibrant light yellow Marigolds bloom gracefully, petals unfurling like delicate sunbursts. Each flower boasts a golden center, surrounded by layers of intricate, feathery petals. Lush, green leaves serve as a verdant backdrop, framing the radiant blossoms.

Seeds

24 Seeds to Grow in 2024

When Texas Master Naturalist Sarah Jay isn’t marveling at the wonders of her surrounding native ecosystem, she’s learning as much as possible about growing her own food. Here, she outlines the top 24 varieties to grow in 2024 via a list developed by Epic Gardening’s Kevin and Jacques!

Close-up of Springer hang watering system in a greenhouse to control greenhouse humidity. There are many different types of lettuce with green and purple leaves growing in the greenhouse.

Basics

How to Control Humidity in a Greenhouse

Understanding humidity is one of the most important parts of growing in a greenhouse. In this piece, experienced gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay explores the topic and provides 5 ways to control humidity inside your greenhouse.

A small unheated greenhouse is filled with tropical plants on a garden patio surrounded by trees.

Gardening Tips

Why and How to Use an Unheated Greenhouse

Unheated greenhouses may not seem like a great option, but there are so many reasons to use one. In this article, Texas Master Naturalist Sarah Jay walks you through how you can best utilize your unheated greenhouse.

A closeup of a Japanese maple tree with colorful leaves in the garden. The tree has a powerful thick trunk forked towards the top. The leaves have autumn shades of orange, red and yellow. Many leaves fell to the ground.

Trees

25 Japanese Maple Varieties with Stunning Foliage

Japanese maples are excellent additions to the garden, with so many cultivars to consider. Texas Master Naturalist Sarah Jay discusses 27 different varieties you can plant in your yard.

A close-up captures the vibrant beauty of a fiery purple-red poinsettia flower. Velvety, scarlet poinsettia petals unfurl like flames, their edges aglow with hints of fiery orange. Tiny yellow bracts peek from the center, adding a touch of sunshine to the fiery spectacle.

Flowers

Broken Poinsettia Stems: How to Fix Stem Breakage

Stem breakage seems to be the plague of poinsettia growers everywhere, but the fix for this is actually pretty simple. Master naturalist Sarah Jay covers the methods for dealing with a broken poinsettia stem here!

Close-up of rosemary oil in a small glass flask on a wooden board. Fresh branches of rosemary lie next to the rosemary oil. Rosemary has oblong stems covered with slender, needle-like leaves that are arranged in dense, linear clusters. These leaves are small and dark green. Rosemary oil has a golden hue.

Herbs

5 Simple Steps for Making Rosemary-Infused Oil from the Garden

Rosemary is an incredible herb with multiple applications in and out of the kitchen. This article shares a recipe for making rosemary-infused oil from gardener and herbalist PNW Ana.

Close-up of many blooming potted orchids on a sunlit windowsill. Orchids produce clusters of large, elegant and intricate blooms. The blossoms come in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes, with intricate patterns and unique structures. Flowers of such colors as deep and soft pink, combined white-pink, purple, white-yellow and others.