Very nice harvest, Paul -- you're nearly a month ahead of me, mine is usually ready around the middle of August.
Short course on garlic for those who are asking: There are 2 types, soft neck and hard neck; soft neck has more "cloves" to a head, in varying sizes, hard neck has a very stiff stem in the middle and 6 or so cloves arranged around it, all of pretty equal size. i can grow both types here in the north, but the hard neck is hardier. Plant the individual cloves in the fall, when you would plant daffodils and tulips. Harvest when there are still 2 or 3 green leaves on the plants, otherwise the bulbs will fall apart into the individual cloves (still usable but not as nice). The first year that I grew it, I let all the tops die back the way I do my onions -- big mistake. Spread out on a screen in the shade to cure for a while after harvesting. If you want to make garlic braids you need the soft neck type. You can slice up the cloves and dry in a dehydrator to make some truly killer garlic granules/powder -- I grind mine in a little electric coffee grinder. Just don't try to store it in zip-lock bags (the way I did), they don't contain the substantial odor! If you like garlic at all, give it a try, I am continuously amazed at how easy it is to grow.
