What crops come to mind when you hear the word "October?" For many people, it's apples, squash, leafy greens and cabbage. If, however, you're a garden in a cool, northern climate, you should be adding garlic to that list.

We tend to think of garlic as a summer crop, because that's when we harvest it, but for northern gardeners it's also a fall crop because this is the best time of the year for getting it in the ground. Like so much in the gardening world, fall garlic planting is an exercise in faith; you won't see any results this year (or at least you shouldn't) because all the action is taking place underground. Once planted, your cloves will start building their root structure before dozing off for their long winter's nap. When your cloves wake up in the warming spring soil, they're able to grow more quickly thanks to the roots they were able to send out the previous fall.

Check with gardeners in your area to find out when is the optimal planting date. This video will show you some of the steps involved in planting your own garlic.