Little wonder bulb (Garlic)

Member Name: January

Product:	Garlic
Date:	27/07/05 (998 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great for ailments and cooking

Disadvantages: the taste has to be gotten used to

Garlic, every vampires nightmare, well not just vampires some people will put up their noses at it and to be honest so did I at one time, but not anymore.
As a lover of gardening I like to grow herbs and garlic is one of the plants which is easy to grow and has so many good uses. All you need is a clove of garlic, get it sprouting and plant it outside in the gared this will then grow into a full garlic bulb over the course of the summer months and with the price of garlic these days it's easy and cheaper to grow your own.

The garlic family is quite large and amongst its family members are, onions, chives, welsh onion, french garlic, purple garlic and lots of others too. All these have a strong taste and garlic is one of the things which you have to build your taste buds up to, just a little chopped up and sprinkled on your cheese on toast, will give it an extra bite. using it in stews, sandwiches, salads and sauces will soon have you used to the taste.
As long as you don't try to eat a full clove you'll be alright and not put yourself off the experience of the taste.

After onions, garlic is the next most used herb in the kitchen. garlic can be eaten raw, or put into lots of dishes, fried and braised and boiled.
The medicinal propeties of garlic are used to treat flu, bronchitis and it's also an antiseptic.
Garlic also helps to clear fat accumulations from the blood vesels., lower cholesterol and protect against bacterial and viral infections.
In fact it's quite a wonderful little bulb.

Garlic is gaining in popularity with a lot of gardeners, as its easy to grow and can be expensive to buy in the shops.
the best way to grow garlic is in well drained soil, it shouldn't be grow in a freshly manuared ground but prefers wood ash and weathered soot to be raked into the prepared ground. garlic grows in bulblets and there are a few cloves to each garlic bulb.
Garlic bulbs which are about half an inch in diameter are the best one's for growing.
Planting is done in March, on wet soil garlic should be grown in raised beds.
Plant each clove about 8 to 9 inches apart, with about a 10 inch gap between rows.

During July and August the leaves will wither and this is a a sign that the crop needs lifting.
Always lift them with a fork to stop the stems being injured and dry them in a frost proof shed or well aired larder.

These can then be used for cooking or raw with salads and taste loverly on cheese on toast. I love garlic and when the winter starts to draw in I always take it as a sign to eat more garlic, it really helps you to fight off the flu and colds. Infact I can't remember the last time I came down badly with the flu, eating garlic helps although eating too much will make you smell of garlic as it goes right through the body and you'll find that even your sweat will smell of garlic.

This little wonder is also the herbalists friend, it is known to cure loads of illnesses and has been used for years as a herbal remedy.
The garlic is a bulb which is part of the onion family. The root is a several reddish white bulbs clumped together in a white skin, this is the part to eat. It flowers in the summer time and as well as being a beautiful plant with pink or whitish flowers, something akin to a chive flower, it has lots of uses for treating ailments.

Garlic can be grown most anywhere and all you have to do is keep a section of the garlic bulb in the dark to let it sprout and plant it in the garden. You will soon have your own bulb for eating, cooking or curing ailments.
Garlic is a natural antiseptic and the juices diluted with water can be applied onto wounds, to clean them it might sting but it works and stops infections. You can also add the juices to some melted petroleum jelly and let it set again for bruises and cuts.
The plant has a natural antibiotic substance too and you can boost your immune system by taking garlic tablets, these can be bought from the health shop at around £3.00 a bottle for 30 tablets. You can buy them in some supermarkets too.

Eating a garlic bulb crushed will do the job just as well and if you like the taste you will benefit from the antibiotic and antiseptic properties this little wonder bulb has.
I’m not as brave when it comes to eating a bulb at a time, I have to crush mine and put it under the cheese when I melt it on toast. If I’m really ill then I will eat a bulb as I know it will help to get rid of the flu or sore throat and even helps rid coughs. If you eat a bulb every day you will soon begin to smell of garlic, this is because it is getting into your system and then you know it is beginning to work, it might be a bit antisocial but who wants to socialise when your ill.

Garlic gets rid of flu, sore throats, helps to lower the blood pressure, helps with asthma and angina.
If you can’t stand the taste then getting the garlic tablets is the best option for you.
The juice of the garlic with it’s antiseptic can help to clear your skin if you suffer from acne rub a little on your skin every night and you will see the difference within a week. It’s much better for you than all the chemical beauty product cleansers you can buy. It is also good for reducing cholesterol and protects you against viral and bacterial infections.

In fact no herb garden should be without it, For a little bulb which has a bad reputation for it’s smell, it doesn’t half do you good.

Summary: Good for allsorts