![A black and yellow striped bee fly with dark tipped wings is feeding on the tiny flowers of a Heath aster. The flowers have white petals and yellow centers and cover the whole branch profusely.](https://i0.wp.com/garden.eeclaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img_1553-1.jpg?resize=525%2C700&ssl=1)
![The small fuzzy body of a common eastern bumblebee worker is dwarfed by the long purple covered flower stalk of Liatris mucronata.](https://i0.wp.com/garden.eeclaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img_1562-1.jpg?resize=525%2C700&ssl=1)
![I’m holding a branch of Euphorbia steady so we can see the fuzzy rust-colored arctiid caterpillar hiding under a leaf. The sunlight catches the very long hairs that extend beyond its main dense body of bright orange-brown fuzzy hairs.](https://i0.wp.com/garden.eeclaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img_1565-1.jpg?resize=525%2C700&ssl=1)
![Faded tomato cages hold a series of fruiting pepper plants and blooming marigold plants.](https://i0.wp.com/garden.eeclaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img_1566-1.jpg?resize=525%2C394&ssl=1)
![A closer view of the bright orange marigold flowers dotting their pointed leaves. The plants are lush and only partly contained by the faded red tomato cages.](https://i0.wp.com/garden.eeclaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/img_1569-1.jpg?resize=525%2C700&ssl=1)
From Forest to Skillet: Edible and Native Plants in the Cross Timbers of Oklahoma. 751 yard species and counting!
Supposed to be really cold (with highs not above freezing) later this week, so I figured I should get my lately acquired native and wildflower seeds in the ground. These included desert globemallow, blue flax, Liatris mucronata, and mystery Aster sp. (the latter two from Mom, thanks Mom!!). The first three I also put some seeds in the fridge for manual stratification and the first two I saved a bit to try planting in the fall if the spring planting doesn’t take.
I also had a few indoor seedings to catch up on. Judy kindly sent me some Chimayo chile pepper seeds, my Jimmy Nardello peppers never sprouted, my ground cherries only had two sprouts, and the poor Tommy Toe tomatoes died of cat and damping off.