Dad's mimosa tree and Mom's flowers

Besides Dad's vegetable and fruit garden, Dad's other pride is his mimosa tree. The seeds were brought from my great Uncle Paul's tree from Long Island, NY when I was in high school (just a few years ago!! hahaha!). The weather in northwestern Ohio is really not what mimosa trees need to flourish, so they are rare to find in that part of Ohio. Dad originally planted 3 trees, but only one survived. Others have recognized what a special tree this is, as it has been photographed for the local newspaper.

Most times when I get to visit with Dad in Ohio, the tree is not in full bloom. In October, the last time I was there, Dad was preparing the tree for winter. The leaves and blooms were gone and he buried it in the fallen leaves off the maple trees. It's the only way to ensure it's survival through the cold, long winters. But this year, I got to see the tree in full bloom. Wow! What a beautiful tree!! The blooms are delicate, feathery things, like fairy duster plants. The leaves remind me of the feathery-looking leaves of our mesquite trees in our front yard in Arizona.

Mimosa Tree in full bloom.  Edited in Pixlr Express.

Single bloom from mimosa tree.  Edited in Pixlr Express. 

While Dad has his vegetable garden and fruit trees, bushes and vines, Mom grows flowers. She has several varieties in beds around the front of the house, along the edge of the driveway, and a few in Dad's vegetable garden. In walking around with Dad to see how his vegetable garden and fruit plants were doing, I took some photos of a few of Mom's flowers. 

I'm not sure what this flower is, but the delicate 

lavender petals with deep purple centers containing 

two white stamens caught my attention.  

Edited in Pixlr Express.

Lily with white, ruffly petals highlighted in yellow with orange-

tipped stamens. I've always loved lilies of all kinds. Mom 

was growing a couple varieties in the middle of Dad's 

vegetable garden. Edited in Pixlr Express. 

Not sure what kind of flowers these are. I loved the bright purple colors with
the white highlights.  Edited in Pixlr Express.