Posts By

Sarah Jay

Sarah is a staff writer and content strategist at Epic Gardening. She spends most of her time researching and writing about native/adapted plants and the ecological systems that make up our growing climates.

Close-up of a female gardener's hands with a freshly dug up young tomato seedling with slender green stem and pairs of bright green, serrated leaves unfurling which was planted too early.

Vegetables

What to Do if You Planted Tomatoes Too Early

If you love tomatoes it’s easy to get excited and plant them too early. But what is the best course of action if you do? Experienced gardener and master naturalist, Sarah Jay has a few strategies for dealing with tomato season eagerness.

A gardener in white gloves divides spring tulip bulbs with flat vertical green leaves on a flowerbed.

Bulbs

How to Divide Your Spring Bulbs After They Bloom

Have you wondered what to do with your spring bulbs as they fade each year? It may be time to divide them. Follow along with experienced gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay cover how to divide your spring bulbs after they bloom.

soft pink Paeonia lactiflora flowers with frilled petals and yellow centers on green stems

Shrubs

How to Stake Floppy Peonies in 7 Easy Steps

Peonies are among the most anticipated spring and summer blooms. But what happens when they grow so tall that they flop over? Experienced gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay has 7 steps to get you stunning upright peony blooms.

The carrot plant has feathery, fern-like green leaves that rise above the ground, while its long, tapered root is orange and smooth, extending deep into the soil.

Edible

9 Crops You Should Overwinter This Year

As the colder weather arrives, gardeners begin to wind down and put the garden to bed. But overwintering is a technique that keeps the season going. Horticultural expert Sarah Jay has tips on crops you can overwinter this year.

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.

Seeds

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.

A tidy garden with grass and various drought-resistant plants uses light-colored rocks as mulch.

Mulch

Do Rocks Make Good 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.

Top view of a woman's palm full of seeds over large cell trays filled with soil mixture. Cell trays for starting seeds are rectangular plastic containers with multiple individual cells, each serving as a small compartment for germinating and growing individual seeds. On top of the cell tray is a small garden tool - a spatula.

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.