Fla. Florist Fetches Attention During Dog Days of Summer

Who let the dogs out? If you ask residents of Miramar, Fla., this month, they may tell you it was Eden Florist & Gift Baskets. For more than five years, Heidi Richards, AAF, and her staff have celebrated "Doghouse Repairs Month" in July with a festive competition that encourages people to submit their best tricks for getting out of the doghouse.

Richards was inspired to start the competition in 2003 after she surveyed more than 1,000 people about how often they were in the doghouse — and how they got out of trouble. The survey was posted on the florist's Web site and offered respondents $5 off an order or a free bouquet of cut flowers for participating. The results were encouraging: 30 percent of the men surveyed identified flowers and a heartfelt apology as the best reprieve.

The contest, which began July 1, concludes this week. At press time, Richards had received about 20 entries. Each contestant gets a complimentary CD — "101 Ways to Get Out of the Doghouse" — from Eden Florist. This year's first-place winner will receive a dozen roses every other month for a year. Winners may also have their stories featured in Richards' "'Messengers of Love' The Emotional Appeal of Flowers," which will be self-published sometime in 2009.
"Doghouse Repairs Month" became a nationally recognized holiday a few years ago after Richards noticed how many customers were coming in looking for help getting out of the doghouse. The resourceful florist submitted it to Chase's calendar and got a proclamation declaring July, "Doghouse Repairs Month."

Richards, who is busy "re-fashioning" her Web site this month, says her doghouse-related work is far from buried: She already is planning a more aggressive advertising plan for the 2009 contest in the hopes of increasing participation to 100 entries or more — a number the shop reached in the early days of the competition.

"We've just been so busy with other events that we didn't market it like we should," she explains.