If the seeds are black and hard, those are true seeds. Softneck garlic does not usually bolt at all, so those do not have flowering stems. Hardnecks have flower stems, which grow tiny bulbs called bulbils. Some varieties of hardnecks may also have tiny flowers between the bulbils, but the flowers do rarely produce true seed. Here are couple of good articles about the true seeds of garlic:
https://www.garlicfarm.ca/article-garlic-seeds.htm
http://garlicseed.blogspot.fi/p/grow...true-seed.html
If there is no bulbils and just black hard seeds, Charlie's plants could be some other allium. Ornamental allium bulbs have faint garlic odor.
I have been growing a plant called society garlic (
Tulbaghia). It also smells like garlic and has pretty flowers. It grows in clumps like Charlie describes. It is hardy to zone 9, so I have it as potted plant, because it would not survive the winter here.
Sari