The autumn is a good time to plant garlic. Ideally buy from seed companies or from garden centres rather than use garlic from a supermarket. Garlic sold for planting will be varieties suited to our climate.
You can start off in cell trays if you have very heavy clay soil that is prone to waterlogging in winter. The single cloves can be planted one per cell. Place the cell trays in a cold frame or in a cold greenhouse or sheltered part of the garden for the winter. The compost only needs to be kept just moist. In early spring you can then plant out onto the veg plot.