Sooooo..... this year I managed to place all my orders for fall planted bulbs

[hedgehog]

back when everything was on sale in June. I'm out of town right now (my son is home holding down the fort) and I'm getting messages that UPS is leaving packages for me. The problem? I'm sure I actually ordered all this stuff, but I'm not sure what I ordered. It's going to be a gardener's surprise party when I get home!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I didn't get my garlic order in in time.

The company had already sold out of the varietal I like. I've still got some cloves to replant, but not as many as I want, after the horrible hit my garlic patch took last winter. I'll be sure to cover them better this winter, and maybe even try potting a few of them and bringing them inside the garage once it gets really cold out.

[Lugnut]

2. DH planted garlic today.

He put in over 200 cloves in three beds. We use a lot ourselves but he shares with his brother and sister and our son. He covers the beds with straw and he's never had any issues with winter weather. We get some brutal stuff with cold temps and snow here in the NE PA mountains.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. I'll use straw this winter.

Last winter I lost about half of mine - everything in the raised bed, and part of the in-ground, and most of what survived ended up stunted. Between that and what I'd already promised to the parents and friends, I didn't end up with even really enough left for planting this year, much less some for me to eat. (I imagine they'd have taken less if I told them, but I hate to break promises.) I plant Inchelium Red. Good flavour, keeps pretty well.

[Lugnut]

4. Yes.

Definitely use straw when you plant this time. DH plants a variety called Music. It's a hardneck variety that holds up well in cold temperatures and is disease resistant. It has nice sized cloves and is very tasty but not too hot. He said he planted 276 cloves so he'll be up to his eyeballs in garlic at harvest time.