mikeyjoe, I am in Alabama so probably similar conditions you'd have. I just harvested my crop last week (just under 200 plants). They are curing now and will be ready for relatively long storage in 2-3 more weeks. I save the largest and best looking heads for my seed crop for fall planting. I usually plant about mid-October. I also only plant the largest cloves from each head as they are suppose to give you the largest bulbs. It is an enjoyable crop for me to grow because it is so productive and pretty easy to grow. I have a lot of friends who are eager to get it, since I don't cook much with it. Us Scandinavians like our food bland, you know. Preferably some shade of white :) The key in the south is planting it in the fall. That is why you didn't have much luck before. There is an allium forum here on gardenweb too that talks a lot about garlic. Mike in Shelby Cty. Alabama

Here's a good one for you. I planted a lot of stuff last fall and as usual couldn't remember all of it or where I put it. I keep onions growing all winter to have fresh onion greens to cut. This spring when I pulled up the onions I thought " these are strange looking onions" - that's because they weren't onions at all - instead it was garlic! Now I have more than I know what to do with.

I follow this schedule with my garlic and it grows and multiplies despite anything that I do to it. Plant in October (after frost) and dig in July. The green tops have usually died down by July 4 and I usually dig the bulbs after that. Check out the allium forum for all kinds of information on varieties to grow.

this has been quiet useful for I did not know when to plant garlic either. I had tried planting in March and most of it died. The few that did not die were dug up by a racoon. I will take your advice and try planting some this fall.
Thanks,
Engi

I grow a hardneck garlic variety and have had no problem with this schedule:

Harvest the garlic when the green tops turn brown (mid to late July...I'm harvesting them now). My garlic sets tiny bulblets at the top of each stem. When I harvest the garlic, I scatter these bulblets on TOP of the ground where I want next year's garlic patch. I've planted my patch before, but have found with these bulblets that its not necessary...just scatter on top of loosened soil. I will also plant the smallest cloves, and save the larger ones for cooking.

There are different types of garlics. Roughneck garlic and softer garlic types probably have different needs for planting. This schedule applies to the roughneck garlic only.

Here is a link that might be useful: new pictures of arbor, squash, lavender, etc

I plant garlic in October. I'm going to start some I ordered from this company this year. Here's a great link I was given while "lurking" on the Ms and Ala forum:

Here is a link that might be useful: Gourmet and Creole Garlics