Hi Bower,
I was amazed when I saw how close together the garlic was planted by a guy who really knows his stuff. He told me it produced well.
SO, I plant each little clove, bearing in mind how big the plant will be at maturity, adding a couple of inches space between, so maybe 6 or 8" apart. I have two rows, so I stagger the cloves and plant them about 10" apart. My soil is pretty good, and I am sure to mulch well with bark chips.
Like you, I don't grow a lot, but it's amazing how much more room I have for growing other things in my veggie garden now
Linda