The restoration of flowering ability, sexual hybridization, and seed production in garlic (Allium sativum L.) has resulted in an increase in genetic variability available to agriculture and has opened new avenues for the breeding of this important crop. In this review, the current status of flower development, fertility, hybridization, sexual propagation, and seed production in garlic is discussed. We summarize the main stages in the life cycle of garlic from true seeds to flowering and bulb formation, and recent advances in our understanding of floro-and gametogenesis. Flowering and fertility of garlic are tightly regulated by environmental conditions, and therefore the seed production cycles in various climatic zones are complex and challenging. Recent establishment of modern molecular tools and the creation of large transcriptome catalogs provide a better understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms of flowering and fertility processes, and accelerate the breeding process by using molecular markers for desirable traits. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.