Garlic is widely considered one of the world’s healthiest foods and contains many medicinal properties that aid in combating colds, improving cholesterol levels and reducing blood pressure. This close relative of the onion also tastes great and kicks up any soup or sauce recipe.
Garlic varieties are typically separated into two types, commonly referred to as softneck and hardneck. Softneck varieties grow best in climates with milder winters and work great for braiding and storage. They have relatively mild flavors and are the varieties you’ll typically find at grocery stores. Hardneck varieties adapt well to colder winter climates and produce a long flowering stem called a scape, which is popular for cooking. They typically have more complex flavors than softneck that vary from mild to musky to hot and spicy. Both types typically perform well here on the Front Range.
Fall is the best time to plant garlic for a big summer harvest, so check out our great selection and make garlic a must-have addition to your fall planting list. Fort Collins Nursery currently has several varieties of garlic to choose from, including hardneck and softneck, bulk and bagged, and mild to melt-your-face hot!
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Inchelium Red Garlic: This softneck variety features savory aroma and rich taste with a medium level of spiciness, even when eaten raw. Inchelium Red Garlic stores well for 6-9 months.
Music Garlic: This mid-season hardneck is rapidly becoming one of the most popular garlic varieties. The bulbs can be rather large, and the cloves have a beautiful, pink skin. Music is prized for its perky, medium-hot, true garlic flavor. It has exceptional shelf life and will store for 9 months to a year.
Montana Zemo Garlic: This beautiful and vigorous hardneck porcelain type produces large, dense, white bulbs with huge, pink-wrapped cloves. When eaten raw, expect a robust, complex garlic flavor, with little heat and virtually no aftertaste.
Looking for something with a milder flavor profile? We have the following tasty shallot varieties to complement your garlic selections:
Dutch Red Shallots: This variety features a short and flat shape, with coppery red outer skin that peels easily to reveal a reddish-purple flesh. They exhibit excellent aroma and flavor.
Dutch Yellow Shallots: This variety features round bulbs, durable copper skins and creamy yellow flesh. They are uniform in size and store exceptionally well. Their flavor profile is tender and spicy when raw but mellow to a sweet, mild onion-garlic flavor when cooked.
Frog Leg Shallots: This is a very productive variety of shallot that is plump like frog legs, with copper skin and reddish flesh. Sautéing them brings out lovely and complex flavors, making them highly sought after by gourmet chefs.
Originally published on November 4th, 2025. Updated on November 11th, 2025.