Garlic, when to plant?

I live in Northern California (about 4,000ft elev.). We get about 2-4 feet of snow in winter.
I planted some garlic in January and they just started poping up. Is there any hope for these plants.

on edit: Our first frost is Nov.15 and the last frost is May 15.

This message was edited Feb 13, 2007 4:23 PM

Oh yes Jawbone. Your garlic will be fine. I plant mine in the fall and they often sprout a bit before they go completely dormant. They'll go to sleep and wake back up in the spring...shouldn't effect them a bit.

Thanks, Lala.
You've eased my troubled mind. This is my first try with garlic and I wasn't expecting such activity so soon.

I planted several varieties this past fall and they had growth. I'm told that when the flower stalk comes in the spring to make sure you cut it off.

I'm in your zone but with no snow. We plant in fall and it is currently about 8-12 inches tall. I always allow mine to bloom. It is in a permanent bed. Why do you cut the flower stalks?