i finally was able to get the garlic in the ground (last week).  i mostly planted “chesnok red”… probably because it was what i had left in storage, and it was starting to sprout.  i also planted “spanish roja”.  they are both hardneck types, but the only the “roja” is an heirloom.

 

 

 

 

if you look closely, you can see the tips of the garlic in their rows

 

i covered the planted garlic with finely shredded leaves, and then a covering of straw

 

 

of course, you can not forget the chicken protection.  a bale of straw is like chicken crack.  they go nuts scratching at the straw.  i put down plastic fencing on top of the straw and then use a few pieces of hard plastic tubing to hoop over and keep everything in place.  that way when, and it will happen, the girls venture to the upper garden, they do not destroy the planted garlic.

 

 

 

as you can see, more leaves found their way in to the garden and over the garlic (and everything).  i’ll remove the top layer of leaves in the spring, and some of the straw, leaving the plastic cover as long as possible.  basically, before the garlic grows up through it.

 

here’s most of the upper garden put to rest for the winter