How do you know when you've truly become bona-fide vegetable gardener? I wonder if it's when you can't imagine buying a particular plant from the supermarket.

For me, garlic is a product I can't imagine purchasing anymore. I love the taste of home-grown garlic. It's also easy to grow - which helps. And it's easy to store, another plus. So there's generally no need to fork out for an inferior (I think) product at the supermarket.

If you already grow your own garlic I'm sure you know what I mean. And if you don't, I hope this inspires you to give it a crack. And don't forget all the other benefits of having garlic in your garden. It's said to keep away aphids, apple scab, leaf-curl and mosquitoes. And if you use it in a spray it helps keep a list of other annoying insects at bay.

You don't need too much space for garlic. It just needs to be well-drained, which means pots and hanging baskets are also suitable planting locations. Alternatively, plant it next to your roses to ward off aphids, beneath apple and peach trees to prevent apple scab and leaf-curl, and next to your tomatoes to protect against red spider.

This month, traditionally the shortest day of the year - 21 June, is the time to plant it. If you don't get it in on the shortest day, don't worry, any time from May through till the end of July will be fine too.

Dig in some compost, and a good general fertiliser or use a potting mix if you're planting in baskets or pots. Dig a little hole and place each garlic plant inside it. Fill it in with soil so the leaves stick out the top.

Again, traditionally, you should harvest on the longest day of the year - 21 December. However, I like to keep an eye on the leaves and when they start to yellow and begin to dry off I gently uproot them with a fork. Be careful not to yank the leaves or you might rip the stalks off. Then simply brush off any dirt and hang them in a dry, airy spot inside. Like other produce that is stored for a long time, it makes sense to eat any damaged ones first and store the rest. Trust me, now you've mastered the art of home-grown garlic, you'll never look at it in the store the same way again.