Garlic needs to be planted like daffodil or tulip bulbs: autumn planting, a certain depth, a thick mulch. In your zone, would you plant bulbs over the winter outdoors in pots? If so, then the garlic would also survive. But unless you are intending to bury those pots in the earth up to their rims, your garlic might freeze and die in your zone 7b climate.

Nice potager.

Rodney, is that you!?! LOL

I have heard that garlic doesn't do well in pots. I have no personal experience to back this up. I put my garlic in the ground. Why don't you put your garlic in the ground and put something else (flowers or herbs) in the pots?

I don't try to grow garlic heads. It takes too long to make, and I need the beds for other things in spring and summer. However, I do plant "green" garlic for use all winter. I just separate a grocery store bought head of garlic into cloves and stick each clove into the soil, basal plate down, point slightly above soil level. In a about a week, there will be leaves that look like green onions. I cut these greens and chop them for cooking all winter. The greens grow back several times before the bulb is exhuasted. Try it. You'll like it!

I read a post in another forum (I can't remember just which one) where a gentleman planted garlic in autumn in containers and then over-wintered the containers in an unheated garage. I might try that next year.

donnabaskets, thank you for the tip on green garlic. I'm trying that as soon as tomorrow!