While not to judge a book by its length, this cute little bulletin about garlic growing, written by Glenn Andrews, proves to be as digestible as many of the recipes it contains. This volume of A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin could have read like a textbook on the dos and don’ts of sowing garlic, but thanks to Andrews’ passion for this "stinky rose," it has moments that read like a love story. As a fellow garlic lover, I enjoyed this concise yet pleasant book and felt comradery with Andrews as he gushed about the ease he finds in growing garlic and the rich and gorgeous flavors garlic lends to nearly any recipe. He outlines its growing season, soil requirements, and harvest routines and encourages even the unprepared gardeners to just pop a clove in the ground as an experiment.

My only critique of this succinct read is that it fails to mention a very significant way to pack even more garlic goodness into Minnesota kitchens - through harvesting garlic scapes, of course! Though Andrews does instruct growers to remove flowers from stalks to redirect energy to their bulbs, he doesn't highlight the culinary value this pruning could offer. As the scapes of hardneck garlic are one of the best parts about it, I'd recommend that this bulletin be paired with a chat with an experienced Master Gardener or a review of the seed catalog instructions from growers' seed garlic orders. Enjoy!

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