Garlic, a dilemma.


Every time I eat garlic, I suffer from bad breath for several days. That's why I try to avoid garlic in my meals. But when I saw the serpent garlic, I could not resist it. I had to grow it in my garden. So, I bought me a few cloves of this garlic (Allium sativum ophioscorodon) from Peter Nijsse (the bulb supplier).

In the autumn I planted the cloves out in a terra cotta pot. Soon, leaves appeared above the ground. In June, the straight stem started to curl. With some imagination it looks like the serpent sign of a doctor. That is why this type of garlic is named as it is. It is a very decorative plant.

A few weeks later, the flower buds burst open. But, as soon as the flowers appears the stem stretches out completely! The flower itself is not very special. It has a somewhat dull white colour.

After the plant died, I dug up the cloves and dried them properly. However, there were a lot of garlic cloves in the ground ......

And so my garlic dilemma arises: In case I would plant all these cloves again, I will have even more of them next year. And what about the year after that, and so on and so forth ..... It will be just incalculable!

Or should I finally start eating the garlic and take the bad breath into the bargain?


Gardening it really is a hobby full of dilemmas!



Serpent garlic, ready to be planted.


With some imagination the plant looks like the serpent sign of a doctor. 


Serpent garlic, very decoratieve.


Before flowering. Suddenly the stem stretched out. 


Flower. 


The garlic cloves.


Flowers and cloves on the table.


Not spectaculair.


Dried garlic, replanting or eating?

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Comments

  1. Dear Hetty, I love this particular garlic as an ornamental plant, no wonder that you couldn't resist planting it! I think it is pretty cool how the stems bend and bow and then suddenly straighten themselves out to flower. Talking about the flowers, I won't say that the blooms are insignificant, as a matter of fact I think they would be great in small flower arrangements.
    Whatever you decide to do with all the garlic cloves that you harvested, I hope you enjoy them!
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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  2. Very nice series of garlic in various stages!
    Thanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/11/sunset-on-bay.html

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  3. They are some beautiful plants. Go ahead, eat the garlic. Most people don't mind as long as you don't get too close!

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  4. If you eat some honey after the garlicmeal, your breath will be less "bad" (so I've heard).

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  5. Eat them, and plant new :)
    I recently planted two sorts of garlic. Several years ago I hated garlic smell. Now I eat garlic almost daily, like most people. Don't notice any bad smell, but love the wonderful smell of garlic dishes...

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  6. Lovely pictures.
    Have a nice weekend
    Hugs Maria

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