Wild garlic is an ancient aromatic and medicinal perennial plant reaching 30-40 cm and bearing umbels of white flowers in April-May. Native to Europe and Asia, it is found growing wild in cool, shaded undergrowth. In cooking, its leaves, flowers and bulbs are used as vegetables, cooked like spinach or as a condiment, enhancing salads, pesto, soups and herbal teas. Wild garlic is also a medicinal plant with properties similar to those of garlic, such as purifying and antiseptic properties. Wild garlic cycle Wild garlic enters a dormant period during the winter and summer. During these periods, it loses its foliage but its root bulb is still present. After a dormant period, wild garlic will develop its first leaves in March. The white flowers appear between April and June. Successfully sowing wild garlic As wild garlic is a wild perennial, sowing can be a little tricky. We recommend placing your seeds in the fridge for a month and then soaking them the night before sowing. Enrich the soil with compost before sowing, sow in a light layer in July in partial shade (the temperature must be above 15°C) on a moist layer of seed compost, barely covering the seeds. Water with a fine spray at the time of sowing and then with a spray every week until September. Seedlings will germinate in 3 to 4 weeks and will spread out over time, for example, if you sow in mid-July, they will germinate from mid-August to mid-September depending on conditions, the seed, etc. Keep the soil moist for young seedlings if conditions are dry in September. Thin out only in the second year, to 20 cm, and take the opportunity to consume the young plants removed. Planting in the garden As wild garlic is an undergrowth plant, we recommend planting it in a shaded part of your garden. Water in case of drought. Harvesting wild garlic You can start harvesting wild garlic the following year. Harvest the leaves and flowers as needed and leave the root bulb in place. The leaves will have a more intense aroma before flowering. How to cook wild garlic The leaves, stems and flower buds can be eaten raw in salads, pesto or cooked, even if it will lose its aroma, or to accompany fish, poultry, vegetables, etc. You can dry or freeze wild garlic leaves.