Garlic Ideas, Tips & Guides

Discover the best picks for Fall Garden Vegetables for Texas that thrive in Lone Star State’s unique climate and conditions.

Whilst photographing and writing for my EOMV post yesterday, I was struck by how quickly and seamlessly the woodland had morphed from the whites of snowdrops to the pinks of fritillaries and the early rhododendron and then suddenly into the blues and whites of bluebells and wild garlic – all in the blink of an eye! Nature continues to bowl me over with her subtle trickery…

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE WRITTEN to say you enjoy the radio podcasts I create with Robin Hood Radio (NPRs newest and smallest affiliate, and just down the road from me in Ruralville, USA here). Marshall, Jill and I do have fun with our Monday-morning conversations–but you can listen anytime.

FOR THE CHANCE to live in the garden, finally, after more than 20 years of back-and-forth weekending. Even nearly three years in to my “new” life, I awaken astonished every day, and remain transfixed by all its intricate goings-on. Were all these mammals, insects, reptiles, birds—not to mention the plants—really this busy doing fantastic things together all those years when I was absent?FOR FINALLY, after two prior winters of practice, having figured out the right long underwear and the right anti-skid winter footwear to sail through whatever gives. (No, I am not a spokesperson for either.) The question of the right warm slippers remains elusive.FOR A CELLAR full of garlic and potatoes (sweet and white) and onions and squash, and two freezers full of everything else I grew. With the joy of homegrown food—which sustains us both in the growing, the cooking

I GROW HARDNECK GARLIC because I like the big heads with a few, extra-fat cloves each (usually about four, maybe five), but also because of what happens right now, when my ‘German Extra Hardy’ plants send up their early bonus–a tasty flowering stalk, or scape. I prune each mildly garlicky curlicue off, grill it whole or cut it into pieces and saute or stir-fry it, or make a batch of scape pesto for the freezer.

1. PICKLE-MANIA: My old friend Dan Koshansky’s recipe for refrigerator pickles—one of three archival 2008 posts that nevertheless made the top 10 again in 2009—was your choice for the Number 1 spot, based on how many views it got. The recipe couldn’t be easier, nor the results more delicious. Remember: lots of garlic, please.2. GROWING A BETTER TOMATO: No surprise that this post about every phase of tomato growing, from seed to harvest, was a winner (as was the Number 10-ranked one

IAM WAITING, WATCHFULLY, FOR THE MOMENT–the garlic-harvest moment. Unlike its botanical cousin the onion, garlic doesn’t want to be left to go completely brown in the garden–but digging it too soon can diminish storage life as well.

WHERE TO BEGIN with the massive job called fall cleanup? Top on our chores list this month: a 7-point program to help us all focus—along with some critical note-taking on the 2014 garden, as we’re teasing it apart.fall cleanup: the short versionLeave especially ornamental or wildlife-friendly plants standing. Don’t act as if you’re vacuuming the living room; clean up beds tactically for maximum enjoyment by you and the birds.Remove sickly things first. Destroy the debris to minimize next year’s issues with squash bugs, cabbage worms, voles, and other pests and diseases.

SINCE YOUR VISIT last fall, I think of you every time I make pasta (brown-rice pasta, of course, because like you I try to keep the gluten to a minimum—well, unless someone bakes fresh bread and I simply cannot resist).The simple act of salting pasta water got connected to you because of that amazing herbed salt you taught me to make, the unpronounceable “salamoia Bolognese” laced with fresh garlic, sage and rosemary. Divine. I keep a little Mason jar I filled with it right beside the stove (and sometimes confess I sprinkle it, intensely salty and crunchy as it is, on other things, too; it’s amazing for roasting vegetables).  It’s also good for sticking one’s nose in when summer just seems so far away as it has some weeks lately; a pinch of warmer times.We kee

IN 2013, A MILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE visited me and Jack and the frogboys here at A Way to Garden, and from the looks of things, statistics-wise, a lot of you treasure your homegrown garlic as much as I do. Yes, garlic was the top topic of the year, in which edible plants in general–from growing them from seed right through to tricks for putting up the harvest–dominated your top-50 favorite stories.

Note: Pages like my overall “About page” and the listing of all my Garden FAQ pages always do well, but I’ve removed them from this list as they’re not individual stories, exactly. The other big multi-story hit: the monthly Garden Chores archive.Here’s what rated top billing in 2014:your top 50 of 2014What to plant now for a fall vegetable gardenThe tricky matter of when to harvest garlicFreezing parsley, chives and other herbsWhen to start seeds: a calculatorTips for growing

IT’S MY FAVORITE HARVEST MOMENT OF ALL: The garlic is in, and the barn smells like it. Seventy-five big, fat heads of ‘German Extra Hardy,’ a hardneck variety also sold as ‘German Stiffneck’ and beloved by Northeast growers in particular, are up and out and under cover.

One of my favorite quick, cheap, filling meals is farinata—a sort of soupy polenta with grated cheese, garlic and greens stirred in. I still have kale and spigarello in the garden, which work perfectly.I form a stiffer version of polenta into slabs and then cut it into cakes, cooked till crispy and topped with onion rings or shredded carrots or maybe some extra crumbles of bleu cheese. The recipe.Speaking of crispy: The same restaurant where I had polenta for supper used to feature crispy polenta triangles. They’re not unlike these polenta “fries” from Heidi Swanson of 101Cookbooks.com. I chop a tiny bit of fresh rosemary into the batter before forming and cooking the wedges.  Caution: addictive.I was happy t

It’s the moment when the long-reach pruner is your best friend (goodbye crispy lilac trusses), and when taking the long view is the only way home. The long view is summed up in the June garden chores that follow.First, a note: Spring won’t officially give way to summer in 2023 until Wednesday, June 21, at 10:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time. Of course it may look long gone by now at your place already if you’ve had more heat, or bouts of dry and warm versus dramatically cool and wet by comparison. (Here we’ve been very dry with so

FOR THOSE who cannot read one more headline of world despair or political madness, a recent “New York Times Magazine” story on what happens when combat veterans and damaged parrots connect is a certain antidote. A must-read:  Charles Siebert’s “What Does a Parrot Know about PTSD?”  (Photo of blue and gold macaws under Creative Commons license from Marcel Burkhard.)size-xl coyotes: woyote, coywolf, or what?THE OTHER NIGHT at a dinner, someone said that they’d seen a wolf in a local cornfield. No, I said, we don’t have wolves in the Northeast, but we do have really big coyotes (60ish pounds, rather than the “usual” 35 or 45). To refres

The latter includes vintage articles that thanks to strong search traffic get tens of thousands of clicks apiece (or more) each year in seeming perpetuity–beating out “new” things until some of those hopefully achieve the search-engine sweet spot, too. Drumroll, please:2016’s top ‘new’ thingsPower shopping the seed catalogs with Joseph Tychonievich Using native perennials in a formal border, with Mt. Cuba’s Travis Beck How to grow spinach, with Tom Stearns of Hig

When you go through as much garlic as I do, it’s wise to set aside some garden space to grow your own bulbs.And I always plant a few extras wit

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Here are various Ways to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew to keep your plants healthy and beautiful. From using natural remedies like baking soda and neem oil to commercial fungicides, we’ve got you covered. So let’s get started!

If you've already finished the stellar second season of FX's The Bear, you might be feeling a little disappointed that you won't be able to listen to Carmy (played by Jeremy Allen White) and his team yell «Yes, chef!» and «Behind!» at each other anymore. But before you get too deep into that post-binge-watch slump, we have some good news: There's a new viral recipe from the show (remember the spaghetti from last year) that can give you a taste of what you're missing—and you're about to see tutorials for it nonstop.

‘Chet’s Italian Red’ is a heirloom variety of softneck garlic native to the Pacific Northwest.Known for its subtle, mild flavor this low maintenance cultivar is perfect for home g

Looking through my ‘garden diary’ I was surprised to be reminded that two years ago we had a group visit to the garden on 20th July – Good Grief! That meant at least three more weeks of keeping on top of deadheading and tying in, not to mention working around rearranged furniture in the house! Admittedly, I have been fairly diligent with the former, but was very relieved this year to have the kitchen and back sitting room back to ‘normal’ and get all the boxes and signs up to the loft this year – with no requests for group visits, we were able to ‘shut up shop’ after our second opening. Up to now, we have had one or two each year, even three one year, and they can be a mixed blessing although the bigger groups tend to generate a good guaranteed income from their visit.

If you are tired of pests attacking your favorite plants then follow these Natural Ways to Kill Aphids and get rid of them in no time!

There are few things more beautiful than lush hydrangea bushes. Unfortunately, their beauty can be sullied by a number of fungal and viral diseases (and two bacterial diseases).However, there are steps you can take to k

How fun would that be if you could propagate vegetables just from cuttings and kitchen scraps? And have them fresh? Well, this is all possible! Because there are Vegetables that Grow from Cuttings, and they’re listed below.

I remember discussing black garlic with my friends at a dinner party about 10 years ago.We’d all heard of this trendy, artisanal

There are herbs that boost libido, enhance sex-drive and energy levels in men, proven in various studies. Growing them fresh and making them a part of your diet can naturally improve your stamina, vitality, and mental health.

As the spring flowering bulbs need pre-chilling, you should plant them in fall in a way that they get enough time of some weeks to establish their roots before freezing but not that enough that they’ll start to sprout.

Noticing White Spots on Catnip Leaves can be alarming. Understanding the underlying causes and how to deal with them is essential for maintaining the health and vitality of your plant.

There is no one rule that fits all when it comes to taking care of plants, and you have to be careful to make sure they stay healthy and happy. To help you do that easily, we have some great Tik Tok Plant Care Hacks.

Oak trees are one of the most popular and widely-grown trees in North America. They are valued for their beauty, strength, and resilience. However, oak trees are not immune to pests and diseases, one of which is the oak tree borer. In this guide, we will provide Oak Tree Borers Treatment DIY Recipes that you can use to protect your oak trees.

Who knows, olive oil could be great for many things in the garden and at home. In this post, you will discover 18 advantages of Using Olive Oil in a Garden and various ways to use it!

Discover the Different Types of Garlic to Grow in the Garden with their distinctive flavors and aromas. From robust and pungent hardneck garlic to mild and versatile softneck varieties, explore the diverse world of garlic cultivars!

Sighting a snake in your garden can be a terrifying experience, and to ensure you don’t encounter these venomous reptiles, you can grow some Natural Snake Repellent Plants to repel these serpents!