November in the garden

[Olive]

Our garlic failure is a mystery to me. For decades I have grown it successfully in various locations with various kinds of soil. The most successful was in One Tree Hill, on coarse volcanic soil, but it also flourished on other soil types. This year it was planted in a raised bed in the hope that the increased drainage might help, but it hasn't. All of our other alliums (chives, red onions, spring onions) do very well here, with just a little rust on the spring onions.

Because commercial garlic is now so expensive I've been adjusting my cooking to use less. Paying more than $6 for a bulb seems absurdly extravagant. By and large it's not a disadvantage, however when I do make something that needs a lot it always turns out extra delicious.