ajr wrote:

: I'm not an expert on the subject, by any strech of the imagination! -
: however I have been told the following from different sources.

: 1. From an elderly friend of my Mum, I was told to plant garlic on the
: shortest day of the year ie: December 21 (?). This I did and they are
: growing quite well.

Much common advice is to plant in the autumn - October - or probably
November now. Remember when October was considered Autumn?

: 2. In one of my gardening books, by Dr Hessayon (?), it states that garlic
: should be planted in March (ie: after any frosts) - however if it was
: planted earlier, then plant extra bulbs where there are gaps - the bulbs
: should be 6 inches apart from each other.

Why after frosts? Garlic is as hardy as old boots.

see this site for some advice

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/garlicgrow.html

or

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_...l_3_garlic.asp