It's time to start amending veggie beds so they are ready again next year to give you awesome vitamin-packed veggies! Put on compost and/or manure now so that it can cool down in the winter months. Even perennials like strawberries, oregano, sage, etc., should have some mulch, compost, or manure put on roots. Don't cover up the plant leaves as it will continue to need access to sun and precipitation in the winter months. Even your recently planted garlic should get a good dose of mulch, compost, or manure.
You will not be harvesting the garlic for 9 months so there is plenty of time for the manure to cool and mulch to compost.
Hay is another good bed cover as it will compost over time, though it seems that it is always a windy day in Colorado when I try to put down hay - so I switched to heavier manure.
Some people like to put black plastic on beds to keep weeds from growing. The only time a garden should be covered with black plastic is if you want to kill everything in the bed as no light or water can get through. If you are planning to do this, put manure down first, then cover with the plastic.
