Arlene, if this is the worst problem you'll ever have, you'll have had a blessed life.
Before I started growing the stuff, I did not know what gourmet garlic even was, much less the various tastes. Every variety I grow has a different flavor (called "garlickiness") and pungency ("heat"). Now, having this garlic always available, we go through about 10 lbs. of it a year. That's not planted.........that's eaten. We use it the vast majority of meals, whether it is sliced, diced, or whole cloves. It makes a wonderful addition to marinates and I grill, and thus marinate, at least twice each week, week-in an week-out.
By the way, that wonderful, huge elephant garlic you see in your grocery stores is not even garlic. It is simply a large onion that has a mild, garlic taste. It is too bad it is not labeled "elephant onion". Talk about false advertising.
The typical storage time is: Hardneck - 4-6 mo., Softneck - 6-9 mo., and Creole - 9-12 mo. Storage should be in the dark (I ship my varieties in a brown paper sack and they should be stored in their bag), in a reasonably cool area (mine are stored in our kitchen pantry, and the temperature will range from the mid-60's to the mid-70's), and dry. If the garlic is exposed to much light, to prolonged warmth, and certainly to dampness, it will tend to sprout. 
