Y'all have completely different growing conditions than I. Mississippi doesn't get a lot of snow or sub-zero weather.
All my garlic is in a raised garden. I even raised it another foot last summer because I wanted better drainage. The garden is now 2 1/2 feet above ground level. Moisture is my main concern, particularly excess moisture in late winter/early spring. That's when garlic needs to be on the dry side to really fill out. I can successfully grow all garlic - hardneck, softneck, and Creole. You might be limited to only hardneck.