Garlic!

Silverskin - This type of garlic is the one most often seen in grocery stores. As the name implies, the skins are silvery-white and the taste is mild & garlicky. Silverskin garlic, often referred to as soft-neck garlic, stores incredibly well and is the type used for making garlic braids.

Rocambole - Also known as serpent garlic, rocambole is classified as a hard-neck. During the growing season, this type of garlic will form flower heads which need to be cut off so they do not drain the resources of the bulb. Most rocambole-types have a very pungent, almost hot flavour and are often identified by the purplish tinge to their skin. Although this is a much more gourmet garlic, it does not store well, usually just a couple of months.

Elephant - The cloves of this garlic can weigh an ounce and will usually give up to 3 tablespoons of chopped garlic. Elephant garlic is actually a member of the leek family and thus, has a much milder taste. If your growing conditions are cool & damp, this is the garlic to choose. The bulbs of elephant garlic should be spaced farther apart, usually 10 inches, to give the plants enough room to grow.

Sources of bulbs

• The best source of bulbs would be local growers who sell seed garlic at local markets. These varieties are well adapted to your growing conditions.

• A second best, or to get more variety, try mail-order catalogues such as Territorial Seeds or Garden City Seeds. The best selection I've seen by far, however, is Salt Spring Seeds. Dan Jason, the owner, keeps about 40 different varieties.

• If it's getting late, as a last resort, I would buy organic garlic from a health food store and plant it. Normal garlic is often sprayed with sprouting inhibitors which prevent the cloves from sprouting in the store. No good if you actually want them to sprout for you in the garden.

Some great resources include:

Growing Great Garlic: The Definitive Guide for Organic Gardeners and Small Farmers by Ron L. England - an in-depth look at the history of garlic evolution and a how-to guide on planting, growing, and harvesting garlic.

On the web, The Garlic Page has great recipes and Mostly Garlic Magazine looks like a must-have for garlic lovers.

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