AccuWeather.com

Beth Durkin makes Mother's Day flower arrangements at a Little Rock, Ark., florist shop Thursday, May 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8, this year. Treat your mom with some beautiful flowers!

The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. The holiday was originally created by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, W.Va., in 1908; President Woodrow Wilson made it an official national holiday in 1914.

In the U.S., Mother's Day remains one of the biggest days for sales for flowers and greeting cards and flowers account for 15.1 percent of total Mother's Day sales, according to IBISWorld, a publisher of business research. For example, Americans spend more than $2 billion on flowers each year on the holiday.

Flooding in South America Causes Mother's Day Flower Shortage

South America is one of the most significant continents for exporting flowers and the United States is unsurprisingly the biggest consumer of South American flowers. About 90 percent of the cut flowers in our country come from South America, with Colombia alone sending more than 3.9 billion stems a year.

However, flooding has been a major issue in South America over the last month. Although we believe "April showers bring May flowers," the water seemed to be too much. Homes have been destroyed and lives endangered, as well as our flowers for moms.

Flooding has washed out greenhouses in South America, doubling and even tripling the prices of some flowers exported there.

Mother's Day Flower Recommendation

Flowers never fail to bring joy to moms on Mother's Day. However, there is a wide range of floral options, deciding what to get can be challenging. Does she like something classic or whimsical? Follow our recommendations to pick the perfect flowers.

Something classic: Assorted roses and tulips never fail on Mother's Day and they have proven to be top sellers every year. Surprise your mother with some roses and tulips and you can't go wrong.

Something practical: If your mom likes something practical, a flowering plant would be perfect - it can last a long time with proper care. Some flowering plants, such as gardenia plant, can emit a lovely fragrance.

Something whimsical: Be creative; an unexpected choice of flowers can be really memorable. For example, a combination of multi-hued roses with some bright green Fuji mums is very special.

After all, it's not about money, it's about expressing your love to your mother and showing her that you put a lot of thought into the gift.

Weather Forecast for Mother's Day

As AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Elliot Abrams puts it, "for Mother's Day weekend, no big storms are a parent."

The nicest weather will be along the Gulf coast, where sunshine and warm conditions are in store. The worst weather will lie in the Northwest to the northern Plains where clouds and areas of rain will linger.

Severe thunderstorms also threaten to ruin Mother's Day across parts of the Plains and Tennessee Valley.

At the end, whether you feed her, give her flowers or simply spend some time with her, don't forget to tell your mother that you love her.

Happy Mother's Day!