If this wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever grown, I don’t know what is!

Last fall I bought a large bag of organic garlic at a farmer’s market.  I brought it home with intentions that never matriculated, and in the end, decided it was time to try growing my own garlic.

Andy built me a long narrow bed, and I slid the cloves into the soil.  I covered them up with compost and began to wait.

And wait, and wait.

Come spring, shoots shot up, and I watched them eagerly, because that meant my garlic survived the winter just fine.

I watched them grow and grow, waited for the scapes to appear,  and when they finally did, the intense heat had arrived with them and the garlic plants quickly began browning.

I waited until about 2/3 of each stalk had browned- you want at least three green leaves yet for the longest storage abilities.

And last week I pulled up the garlic.  Just like that, I have about 24 beautiful bulbs of garlic.

Now they cure.  They literally sit and dry out. Once properly dried, the stalks will be braided, and I will have a few months worth of garlic anyway.   This process can take up to six weeks, but the garlic is totally able to be used right away.

In fact, I broke into one of those bulbs today for some fried rice for dinner.  Oh my, the garlic smelled heavenly.

I learned that I can space my garlic a little more snugly for next year, and I also learned that I am a huge fan of growing it.  It took no effort on my part, simply patience.   For next year I plan to add a second variety to the bed.  I can’t wait!