Time to harvest garlic

The beds of garlic I planted in the fall are ready to harvest. The lower stalks are turning brown and tops of the early varieties flopping over. I've never actually stored garlic, since we usually eat the entire harvest while fresh, but this year may be different.

I planted a LOT of garlic and onions in the satellite garden (the photo below is from April; I knew if the woodchuck emerged from his/her winter hibernation early, they wouldn't be eaten in early spring). The garlic and onions have flourished.

Garlic is wonderfully easy to grow; I've enjoyed ordering different varieties from specialty growers and have been amazed at the types available. They have evocative names- Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Chesnook Red, and Georgia Crystal; garlic is grown all over the world, so there's been adaptation to local conditions.

I'll be swapping out the garlic for more tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and pole beans -- all hopefully will thrive in the hot dry days to come.

Next year, I'm definitely planning to harvest some of the young 'scapes' or flowering shoots-- I just received a link to this article in Mother Earth News by William Woys Weaver, which is fascinating, as are the other garlic links given.

Why hadn't I thought of making my own garlic powder before?