Allium sativum 'Solent Wight'

Garlic, Allium sativum, adds depth and vibrancy to a variety of dishes, including Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Given a fertile, sunny site, it's easy to grow, and you'll be rewarded with large, strong-flavoured bulbs that will last well into autumn.

Garlic falls into two basic types: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck varieties generally produce larger bulbs and have a more intense 'garlicky' flavour than softneck varieties, but don't store as well.

Plant garlic in either spring or autumn – simply separate the cloves of the bulb and plant them individually at a depth of 5cm, spacing them 10cm apart. If you garden on heavier soils, it's worth growing garlic in raised beds, or raising the cloves in modular trays first, to transplant at a later date.