I like to lay out my garlic bed by turning and amending the soil, raking it, and then delineating each clove’s spot by marking with my special marking device: an old 2 quart yoghurt container, 6 inches in diameter.
After sticking the cloves in their spots I cover lightly with compost and water. Should be all the attention it needs until spring weeding.
Didn’t realize you are obsessive = compulsive. 
Well, maybe, just a bit.
I do a lot of things in a sloppy fashion, but sometimes, certain things just seem to like certain … patterns?
I dunno. Go figure!
M
I am not a tidy person, but my garlic beds are always highly regimented. I love how you have it all laid out!
It’s actually the easiest way to get it nicely spaced that I have tried.
We always said (back in the day when I still worked) that if you want to find the easiest, fastest way to do something study the lazy guy.
Well, there you have it!
;-)M
planting garlic already? what’s your location?
i’ve got some cloves i want to plant i grew this year… but i’m in the deep south and i think its too early. my issue is that some of the garlic is starting to spoil. 
not sure how much i’ll have left by the time actual cold weather arrives (end of Nov/dec).
Western Montana, latitude 46.92, elevation 3200 feet, USDA Zone 5 a/b.
Don’t know what to tell you about your garlic spoiling already.