After a long, cold winter, you are probably anxious for the first signs of spring. Springtime automatically brings thoughts of flowers. Choosing the best flowers for spring can be difficult and it is often confusing. Perhaps the most effective way to ensure spring flowers that bloom each year is to plant bulbs in the fall to mid-winter. There are of course flowering plants that you can purchase from your local nursery, but you will want to make sure any chance of freezing weather has passed before planting and in many areas of the country, spring does not arrive until late in the season and by that time you will want to plants flowers in anticipation of summer. You always have the option of purchasing bulbs that have been grown in pots over the winter and are in stock in most garden centers beginning in the late winter months. Here are a few choices of flowering plants that are suitable to plant now and will produce early spring flower:

Winter Aconite, or Eranthis hyemalis, will give you yellow flowers approximately three inches in height and resemble common buttercups. These particular bulbs may begin to flower as early as January if you live in a warm area and you will get the best results if you plant them in masses as they grow low to the ground.

Glory Of The Snow, or Chionodoxa luciliare, produce flowers that are bright blue with a white center. The plants will grow between six and ten inches tall, making this particular plant very handy for walkways, borders, and rock gardens. You may also be able to find white/pink varieties depending on the area in which you live

Spring Snowflake, or leucojum vernum, give you bell-shaped flowers that droop from the green part of the plant. These plants will be six to twelve inches in height and are white in color with small green spots on the ends of the petals. You will get the best results if you plant them in clumps and you can expect to see blooms in late February to early March. As with any other springtime bulb, they are best planted in the fall but you can plant in the mid to late winter if you purchase potted bulbs that have already begun the growing cycle.

Netted Iris, or iris reticulate, are wonderfully scented and are most commonly purple in color, although you can also find light blue and white irises in many areas. Irises are one of the earliest blooming plants and you can expect a beautiful display of flowers in early March. As with any other type of bulb, after several growing seasons you will have to thin the bulbs from time to time, as they tend to reproduce rapidly and could actually begin to stunt the growth of the plants due to over-crowding.

Annuals are a great addition to any garden. There are many varieties to choose from and many are easy to grow. Annuals flower all summer long, many until frost. Here are five of the most popular, long blooming annuals.

1. Geraniums. Technically a Pelargonium, geraniums are hugely popular in gardens. They are very easy to grow, so are great for beginning and expert gardeners alike. In warmer climates, geraniums are perennials, but in much of the country, they are treated as annuals. They bloom from spring to frost. There are three types of geraniums: zonal, ivy and scented. The zonal geraniums are the most familiar. They have flower clusters which rise above soft, velvety leaves. The flowers come in colors of red, white, pink, violet and rose. This variety will generally grow twelve to eighteen inches tall. Ivy geraniums have branches that stretch out and droop, making them perfect for containers. The foliage is glossy and smooth. The ivy variety flowers come in pink, lavender, red and white. The scented geraniums are more grown for the fragrance than the flowers. Gently crush the foliage in your hands to release the scent. The fragrance can range from rose, to chocolate, to mint! These geraniums are best planted in containers where you can reach out and rub the foliage.

2. Petunias. Petunias come in such a wide variety of colors and types that it can be difficult to decide which one to pick! Petunias bloom from summer until frost and come in colors ranging from red, white, yellow, purple, pin and multi colored. The two main classes of petunias are multifloras and grandifloras. Multifloras are compact with smaller flowers. The flowers can be either single or double petaled. The grandifloras are the larger of the two classes, growing up to twenty four inches tall. This class is often used for hanging baskets or containers. The flowers can be single or double petaled. Remove the dead flower blooms in order to keep the petunias producing flowers all season.

3. Marigolds. Marigolds are the work horses of the garden. They are not fussy, very easy to grow right from seed and produce many flowers from spring to frost. The four common types of marigolds to use in your garden include: African, French, Triploid and Signet. African marigolds, which are also referred to as American marigolds are the tallest type. They grow up to 3 feet tall, with large double petaled blooms. Best used in the back of a border. Flower colors range from cream to orange with other yellow shades in the middle. French marigolds are smaller than the African. They grow six to twelve inches tall and have either single or double petaled blooms. Shades range from maroon, to orange to bright yellow and some bi-colored flowers. Triploid hybrids are a cross between the French and African varieties. The plants are a compact twelve inches with large three inch blooms. These are also a seedless variety, so will continue to bloom even without dead heading. Signets are the tiniest of the marigolds. They are bushy plants that grow up to twelve inches and produce masses of tiny colorful flowers.

4. Sunflowers. Sunflowers bloom in a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Easily grown from seed, they are perfect to teach children about plants. From giant ten foot tall plants to compact garden varieties, there is sure to be a sunflower that will fit your garden. For the giant size, staking will probably be necessary to keep the flower from toppling over. Often times the flower head itself will grow to over twelve inches across! The garden varieties can have single large blooms on each stem, or be a more bushy plant with many smaller flower heads. If you want sunflowers for cutting, try growing the hybrids with a long single stem.

5. Snapdragons. Snapdragons are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors. They are difficult to grow from seed, so starting out with plants from your local nursery is the easiest way to add them to your garden. There are three typical sizes for snapdragons: dwarf, medium and tall. The dwarf size are twelve inches or shorter. They come in a wide range of colors, but due to their size, are not good for cutting. The intermediate size grows up to eighteen inches. This size is good for cutting flowers for bouquets and for using anywhere in the garden bed. The tall variety of snapdragons grow up to three feet tall. These will require staking to maintain straight stems. These are best to use for the back of the border, or for cutting.

Businesses around the world have used flowers and plants for office decorations, client gifts, and employee recognition for as long as anyone can remember. Sure, flowers are a quick and easy way to thank top customers, send holiday greetings, or recognize special employee occasions. But, do flowers still make sense in today’s fast-paced, high-tech business world? The research may surprise you.

According to a behavioral study conducted at Rutgers, the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of satisfaction, and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. Study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and agitated after receiving flowers, and the study noted a long-term positive impact on their moods.

“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “Now science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.” In other words, flowers really do boost workplace morale well beyond their initial delivery.

Flowers make guests and customers feel more welcome, too. “Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”

Another study conducted at Texas A&M University found that workers’ creative performance and problem solving skills improve substantially in workplace environments with flowers and plants. “Our research shows that adding flowers and plants can be important in the most meaningful way to businesses in the modern economy,” said Dr. Roger Ulrich, lead researcher on the project.

During the eight-month study, both men and women demonstrated more innovative thinking, generating more ideas and original solutions to problems in the office environment that included flowers and plants. The research lends weight to the growing scientific evidence that flowers, as well as other aspects of nature, have a beneficial impact on our state of mind and emotions.

Another study at Harvard confirmed that flowers have an energizing effect on people at work. So, if your business depends on positive morale, team spirit, creative problem solving, and happy customers, you might just want to send flowers a little more often. Remember, something as simple as adding flowers to the environment actually enhances moods, improves social interaction, and boosts productivity. And, that makes good sense for any business.