Garlic Stinky and Lovely

Did you know that roses love garlic? It's true. Roses love garlic because garlic repels moles and other critters. Garlic can also help protect roses from mildew and black spot. Garlic may even increase the fragrance a rose produces. Many other plants, such as fruit trees and tomatoes also love garlic.

Did I forget to mention how much chefs and cooks love garlic? My mother-in-law used to say you could run out of anything in your kitchen but onions. Onions can make almost any dish taste better. I'm adding garlic to that advice. If your garlic cloves have a green sprout, cut the clove in half and remove the sprout before using the clove. The green sprout is largely responsible for those complaints of indigestion from some dinner guests. If you have the smell of garlic on your hands after working with it, simply rub your hands on stainless steel and the smell will disappear. I have no idea how this works, but it does work!

For those vampire fans, remember, garlic will protect you! Sure, it's a bit tricky working a head of garlic necklace into your newest fashion ensemble, but once a vampire bites you your main concern won't be haute couture.

The ancient Egyptians worshiped garlic. King Tut's tomb contained a head of garlic sculpted in clay. Ahh, aromatic dishes in the afterlife! It's all in the plan!

Garlic has been cultivated for over 6,000 years being native to central Asia. Today, Americans consume over 250 million pounds per year. That's a lot of garlic!

The medicinal benefits to eating garlic have been known for quite some time. Garlic can be a natural mosquito repellant. It has anti-oxidant properties and has been called nature's penicillin. It can help in the treatment of acne and high cholesterol. I've heard it can be used as an aphrodisiac, but I'm a bit skeptical about that tidbit, for odorous reasons.

Garlic is available in several different varieties so look around for the best type for your growing area. You can take a head from the grocery store, separate it into cloves, plant the largest cloves and still get good results. Garlic likes a sandy, well-drained soil with a lot of organic matter. In most areas, garlic is planted in the fall; October is a good time. Just push the cloves into the soil about 2 inches deep and 4 or 5 inches apart. They will pop up in early spring. When the shoots begin to fall over and turn brown, harvest the new bulbs. This usually happens in late June or early July. Let the bulbs dry for a few days and then store them in a mesh bag for ventilation. I like to braid garlic bulbs and hang them in my kitchen. You can also plant garlic in the spring after the frost date, and harvest in the fall, but your bulbs won't be as large or as pungent as the over-wintered bulbs. Garlic really doesn't have any pests or diseases to bother it. Even moisture is helpful but the plant is sturdy and requires little care.

What a great plant! Health benefits, tastes great, effective companion plant and wards off the evil eye and vampires! What more could we want? Oh, I know. It's easy to grow, too. Plant some garlic in your garden and enjoy a healthy, protective and tasty harvest!

by Garden Maven Peg

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