Grateful for Garlic

Was anyone else extremely thankful for this unseasonal warm spell we just had? Most years I spend garlic planting season wearing fingerless gloves over my gardening gloves and shivering with a winter coat, hat and scarf. I have always been late getting my garlic in the ground. I think I imagine the summer will go on and on, and until the first really good frost hits, it just doesn't sink in that I MUST plant my garlic or we won't have any. This year because we didn't sell our garlic, we had even more cloves to plant than any other year, PLUS, we didn't have land to plant it in!

Wonderfully, four families offered their backyards for garlic growing. I started planting at the beginning of October and finally finished last Wednesday. When I was going to start planting in the final family's backyard and was feeling a little low because the cold had settled in, my husband informed me of the unusual warm weather on it's way. Hooray!! I can be quite a procrastinator, but this time I didn't have to pay for it. I have never been out in a t-shirt while planting garlic before!

Now the cold has come again and I am warm and inside curled up with a steaming tea knowing the garlic is safe and ready to start growing in spring. Maybe next year I will get it in before the first snow flies. The great thing about gardening is you can always dream!

Thank-you SO very much to the four families who graciously are allowing us to keep our garlic alive by using your backyards. You are such a blessing!

Good-night garlic! Enjoy your winter sleep! We will see you in the spring.