Garlic breath...

This photo kind of makes me drool. Gaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiic!

I love growing garlic! Thus far, I haven't grow anything easier. Pop the clove in the ground in late September, mulch so it doesn't get too cold, and in spring, watch it grow!

The heads I got this year were a little smaller than last year's, so I'm going to dig some compost into the bed, which ought to loosen the soil and bit and give the plants more nutrients.

Thus far I've stuck with a hardneck type, but I'm going to try a softneck variety from East Coast Seeds this fall. I'm a little fuzzy on the differences, but I know that hardneck varieties grow a scape in mid-summer, which is a seedhead on a stalk that you need to pinch off if you want your garlic to continue growing. The scapes taste really great sauteed with beans! Supposedly the softneck types are better for gardens further south because they're less hardy, but my backyard is very sheltered and I'm looking forward to putting my little microclimate to the test. This type is supposed to store longer than the hardneck style. They're the kind you can braid together, which you've probably seen in photos of garlic.

One other thing I thought I might try this year is storing them differently. You peel the cloves and soak them in vinegar for 24 hours. Then pop them in a container of olive oil and store them in the fridge!