Question
Mr. Alonzo,
I am a journalism student at NYU writing about the benefits of spring.    
For people without a garden, what unique flowers can be kept in the house that are bright and colorful for the spring season?
Thank you very much for your time, Natalie Plummer  

Answer
Hi Natalie,
Thanx for your question.  Unique plants for spring bloom include Kalanchoe which comes in bright colors like yellow, white, vermillion, hot pink and orange.  Orchids are now fairly inexpensive and comes in all kinds of different colors.  You can even buy them at Home Depot and Lowe's now.  African Violets flower all year long and are cheery but can be fussy.  I'm not really into house plants although I do have some.  A fun thing to do is force paperwhite narcissus and hyacinths to bloom.  Amaryllis are also very bright and fun plants to have in January when it seems like Spring is so far away.  I had some beautiful white, red and striped ones that just stunned everyone who came into my office. Croton doesn't bloom but its leaves are different shades of reds, browns, yellows, greens with hints of orange and red.  I hope this helps.
Tom