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.

Bundles of curing garlic being hung from somewhere high up with a wooden wall in the background placed somewhere with light

Vegetables

How to Cure Garlic For Long-Term Storage

Curing garlic is an essential element of the harvesting process. It extends the shelf life of your harvest, ensuring you can enjoy them for months to come. In this guide, Sarah Jay explores all methods used to cure hardneck and softneck varieties!

A nutmeg tree with lush and deep green leaves, having a fruit dangling from a stem, appearing to be split open due to ripeness

Herbs

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Nutmeg Trees

Warm climate gardeners can grow and enjoy the tropical nutmeg tree... and get both nutmeg and mace as a result! If you live in a tropical region, this tree would be a great addition to your garden. In this guide, Sarah Jay explains how to do it.

Someone wearing gloves pressing down leaf mulch on top of soil of a plant in a pot

Mulch

How to Make and Use Leaf Mulch

Fallen leaves shouldn't go to waste in your garden. Use them as leaf mulch to boost growth and improve soil health. These lovely gifts from deciduous trees build incredible soil! Sarah Jay explains how to make and use your own leaf mulch.

A closeup shot of a flower, showing how to grow vanilla appearing to have pale petals and bright green leave surrounded with abundant greens under indirect sunlight

Flowers

How To Grow Vanilla Beans: The Vanilla Orchid

The vanilla orchid is beautiful, but do you know how to grow vanilla beans from that lovely plant? It's a complex process, which is why vanilla pods are so pricey. We delve into this complex topic in this growing guide!

False sunflower.

Flowers

16 Flowers That Look Like Sunflowers

There's a surprising number of flowers that look like sunflowers out there but that don't grow to skyscraper heights. The daisy shaped flowers makes them a popular choice for gardeners. Sarah Jay takes a look at 16 flowers that will enhance any garden landscape.

Snail Close Up

Garden Pests

How to Identify and Control Snails and Slugs

While they're common in gardens, many don't know much about snails. Is a snail an insect pest or something else? What's the difference between a snail and a slug? How do we stop snails from eating our plants? Expert Sarah Jay explores this topic.