You will need to place your order soon. May I suggest that you go to their Web page, www.filareefarm.com, and familiarize yourself with the vast array of varieties that they offer, or call 509-422-6940 and have them send you a catalog. Garlic needs to be planted in the fall, in a well-drained, organically enriched plot. I think I planted them too close together last fall, we'll see what I get for a harvest. I planted seven different kinds and am excited to sample the distinctly different flavors that each offers. I truly believe that garlic could be a cash crop here in Homer.

Once the bulbs are harvested I intend on drying them more effectively than I have in the past. This fall they will be hung under the covered porch where they will be out of the sun but get plenty of air circulation.

In the past I have stored them in brown paper bags, each one labeled with the name of the variety, and put them all into a huge basket on top of the refrigerator where they kept for most of the year, still crunchy and juicy. Really, there is no comparison to store-bought garlic.

The green bean harvest is slowing down. What an amazing thing to say. That I have green beans at all is a marvel, that I have had enough to freeze makes my heart leap with joy.

Actually the whole harvest scene around here has been smoother than ever before. As you have read in this column many times, I loathe harvesting. It means the gardening season is winding down. Note that I did not say "over." You still have lots of gardening ahead of you, fortunately. All three kinds of cauliflower were successful. The purple, Graffiti, was the most interesting or that may be because the Romanesque Cauliflower is becoming too familiar. The flavor of both of these, in my opinion, is so far superior to the white that I may never plant white again.

The broccoli seemed to have a tough time of it this season. Methinks it was too hot. What a thing to say, but there you have it.

Because I do not have a root cellar or any reasonable semblance of one, I am once again, wondering what to do with the root crops that will need to be put somewhere. I am toying with the idea of leaving them in the ground and mulching with local hay. Hmmm. Can you just imagine my reaction if that doesn't work?

Now is a good time to move any perennials that bloom early. For instance I have anemone pulsatilla (Pasque Flower) that is just begging to be moved out from under the mock orange. Moved it will be. It is one of the first plants to bloom and I don't want to wait until spring when it is preparing itself to burst into bloom and than give it transplant shock. Arabis falls into this category also. I have a ton of it and most of it is in the wrong place. There is enough growing season left that these plants can reestablish their root systems before winter.

You also need to be thinking about bulbs. I must say that I have appreciated each and every bulb that I have ever planted. The one that really goes for the glory is chionodoxa ("Glory of the Snow"). It blooms early and lasts for weeks. It is just excellent, so if you plant nothing else, go for chionodoxa. It is about six inches tall. I have really developed an appreciation for the minor bulbs. You won't have all of that dead foliage flopping around that no other plant really seems able to cover up until late in the summer. Think about that.

Yet another chore that you need to address is liming your lilacs. Lilacs set next years buds this fall. My neighbor's lilacs are at least 25 years old and had never bloomed, so last fall she limed them and, lo, blooms aplenty this spring. Now there is a success story if ever there was one. I am using the water-soluble lime and just putting handfuls around each lilac, them I am using a cultivator to gently mix it into the surface of the soil. I'm letting the rain take care of the rest of it.

The slugs are just as happy as anyone else to see this much-needed rain. I am busily sprinkling Sluggo in the paths of the vegetable garden, hoping to keep the legions in control. It is wise to clean up after you make a harvest. Big leaves left laying around make perfect slug habitat. They are in egg-laying mode right now so be on the lookout for their clear, tough eggs. When I find some I try to scoop up as many as I can and put them in the fire pit. If you do not want to use Sluggo (it is supposedly organic but its pricey), you can flip out some shingles into the paths and each-and-every morning dash out there and scrape them off the underside into a solution of vinegar water and bid them farewell.