I have always thought ANYTHING homegrown tastes better than storebought. But i think with garlic and onions the main advantage is always having them there and being able to pick them at whatever size you want.

In zone eight we always plant garlic in the fall but I'm not sure about your zone. I usually harvest garlic mid summer when all but about seven of the leaves have turned brown. Pull them up and let them dry out in a shady spot for a week or so until all of the leaves dry. At that point you can use it or store it for the winter. It will last from four to ten months or so depending on variety. Onions from sets usually do better as green onions rather than bulb onions. The green onions can be harvested all winter if the ground isnt frozen. If the onions don't go to seed in the summer they will start to grow large bulbs and when the tops start to die down they are ready to pull. Good luck. Theresa.

I am in your zone and have also planted garlic for the first time on Oct. 6. This was advised to me as the best way to go, and I was told to plant strictly HARDNECK varieties for a good result. So far so good. I am also told to leave it out there exposed to the cold and freeze and snow and everything else and not to worry about it. I did mulch with straw though. Should be ready in early June sometime. Then I will plant beans in the same bed.