In 25 years of growing elephant garlic, I have never seen the flowers produce seeds, so I say ignore that comment - just won't happen. Although I cut and eat most of the scapes from my elephant garlic, I always leave a number of them because I like seeing the tall flowers around my garden. You definitely need to dig it up once leaves are yellowing (I usually let about half the plant yellow), and definitely dig from under the garlic to recover all the corms (hard cloves growing around the outside of each bulb) that you can for replanting. That is a really good way to significantly increase your stock of garlic, though it takes a couple of years before they make nice heads. I always store the garlic in a cool place (essentially in the house with AC) once it is dry and cured a bit, and I wait until the fall, mid-October here in Z7, to replant. The great thing about elephant garlic is that it lasts through the winter very well.

Unless someone here lives in the same area and frequents the Farmer's Markets I doubt you'll get an answer. Can't you just call the local FM and ask them? That's what we do here. All the local markets here keep a list of currently offered products. Late for them down here. Last Saturday only one vendor had them and only a small amount. Otherwise you can order them online from garlic growers like BJ 's Gourmet Garlic Farm. Dave

Small cloves produce better greens than what are generally tiny bulbils. Better to always cut off the scapes pretty much regardless of whether the variety is hardneck or softneck. Always better bulb size when you do that, - well - almost always anyway. Softnecks (two types - Artichokes and silverskins) may bolt, but they are called softnecks because they very seldom ever do. But that doesn't mean they won't, although there is probably no forecasting just when it will happen. Hardnecks (8 types all seemingly more primitive that the softnecks and do not keep as well) will almost always bolt, although there is an intermediate group that they now put with the regular hardnecks called weakly bolting hardnecks (Turbans and Asiatics) which may or may not. The semi-woody flower stem produces the "hardneck" making them completely unsuitable for braiding. No bolt - no "hardneck", even if the variety is officially a hardneck, and that reverse happens sometimes, too. In the US generally hardnecks do better in the North and softnecks in the South. Exceptions to this vary from grower to grower, and are quite common. Generally Creoles are one of the exceptions doing generally much better in the South, even when they regularly or commonly bolt.

I added 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds, and changed the way they said to blend it ( adding the olive oil last) - but this is the recipe i used. 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or other sharp Italian cheese 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, adjusted to taste 1/4 pound roughly chopped scapes 1/2 cup olive oil salt to taste Puree scapes, olive oil, and juice in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. (You can make a smooth paste if you prefer, but most people like a little texture in the pesto.) Gently stir in the cheese or gingerly pulse the cheese into the mixture; take it easy as you mix in the cheese to avoid making the pesto gummy by overblending. Taste and then adjust juice and salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator to use within two or three days; freeze for longer storage.