Gardening: The joys of wild garlic | Southsea Green

Here in the garden the wild garlic is thrusting through the soil and once again taking over a corner of the lawn in its highly invasive way.
Southsea Green: A community garden on the seafront.Southsea Green: A community garden on the seafront.
Southsea Green: A community garden on the seafront.

Its heady aroma and pungent smell, sends the senses reeling, and can be noticed long before the bright green leaves and pretty white star-like flowers are seen, both of which are edible.

Taking pots of these to the Southsea Green garden previously, new gardeners could be misled by the long gangly, grass-like leaves looking like weeds.

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Leaves of wild garlic can be chopped and used like herbs, or added to salads alongside crisp but lack-tasting lettuce, or used in soups or made into a pesto or velouté or the buds can be pickled.

Garlic bulb-lets have forced their way through right next to the lily of the valley shoots which are highly toxic and great care needs to be taken not to confuse the two very different plants when harvesting garlic.

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