The case of the disappearing garlic

I've been trying to grow garlic for a couple of years. The first year, I got garlic seeds (yes, they exist) from my mom, who had planted some garlic even though she didn't like it.

I know, right? How can someone not like garlic? How can I be related to someone who doesn't like garlic???
Her garlic was out of control, getting bigger every year and threatening to take over her garden. I think she originally planted it because it was supposed to deter bugs. She just let it flower and go to seed every year. So I snagged some seeds and planted them in the fall two years ago.
I began to doubt that my seeds would do the trick, so I bought a few garlic bulbs and also planted those. Last year, the garlic that I planted in bulb form got large, made the lovely garlic scape and made tiny garlic bulbs. The garlic I planted from seed came up, but remained so pitifully small that I didn't do anything with it besides let it grow.
Last fall, I bought more garlic bulbs and planted a huge garlic bed. Although it came up and looked good early in the spring, none of the garlic formed the curly scape that's so tasty and delicious. Instead, it all just started to wither and dry up.
The garlic I started from seed more than two years ago, however, formed a few scapes and is still looking good. Or at least visible.

The garlic in the bed I planted is withering and drying so much it's hard to find the plants. I did manage to find one and dig it up. This is the result:
Pitiful, huh?

I also dug up one of the bulbs that's had two years in the making.
Much better.
The good thing about garlic and onions is that if you miss one and leave it in the ground, it will just get bigger the following year. I doubt that I'll be able to find all the garlic I planted in my garlic bed, so I guess that means I'll have more next year.

Does anyone who's been doing this longer have a little wisdom to share?