Society garlic – a herb or a weed? Regardless, it is edible and it adds a good kick of garlicky flavour to pasta, salads, quiches, frittatas and savoury muffins.

Hailing from South Africa and known among botanists as Tulbaghia violacea, this plant isn’t very common which surprises me because it’s incredibly hardy. Dare I say it; it’s impossible to kill. Indeed, green and brown thumbs alike will have success with it.

I’ve always planted it in pots but it grows just as well in the ground and makes for an ideal choice for walkways and edges. From experience, the more you pick it, the more it grows. The leaves are long, flat and deep green and a few times a year, delicate violet flowers bloom.

Society garlic is available at most nurseries. It’s a pretty and practical choice for the garden (and the kitchen).