Exploring Life & Business with Ooldouz Hawkes of The English Garden

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ooldouz Hawkes.

Hi Ooldouz, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I owe my journey in flowers to Mamani (my grandma). When I was young, she first inspired the ‘flower love’ in my heart by teaching me how to plant in her garden. We’d plant all sorts of things together including rainbow carrots and marigold flowers. Every year after the marigold season was over we’d collect the seeds, put them in a jar and keep them in her basement. Then we would plant these stored seeds the year after. This small yet meaningful ritual truly nurtured a growing love of flowers in me year over year at this young age.

As an Iranian, I grew up in a culture that adores and appreciates flowers in a big big way. In Iran, you seize every opportunity to give flowers. You take them to birthday parties, to the airport to welcome your visiting aunt who lives abroad, on dates, and they also form a central element in many of our cultural celebrations and their accompanying table spreads. For the Persian New Year (Nowruz), hyacinth, tulips and daffodils are a must.

Both this earthy upbringing in Manani’s garden, and the deep cultural floral roots definitely set me up for flowers being a large part of my life. However, when I got to university there wasn’t a clear pathway to do it professionally – or even higher education that focussed on the industry. I instead came to the USA in 2014 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. This became a foundational part of my journey and provided knowledge of lighting, composition, form, and color that I use to this day in my design work. It was at the end of this SVA program that I finally had the opportunity to directly study floral design, more pathways existed now, and NYC was one of the hubs. I completed the program at FlowerSchool New York in what became a light bulb moment for me. I immediately knew this was going to be my career path, and that I wanted to own a flower shop. It finally all connected.

I started working as a junior floral designer in New York, but was soon LA bound in 2018. Right after moving, I started working one day a week at The English Garden, a flower shop in Westlake Village. It was my most favorite place to work and the style resonated strongly with my own – a whimsical, airy and expressive garden style. In a stroke of fate the previous owner was looking to retire, and the rest is history. I officially took over The English Garden Floral Designs in June 2021.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s hasn’t always been smooth sailing. It wasn’t the safest move to take over a business midway through the COVID19 pandemic. There was significant upheaval in the wedding industry, and people weren’t able to gather as easily. This coupled with the uncertain economic outlook during this time was challenging. It took grit, hard work and a real belief that people need flowers to get through this period of time – which we did – and with growth in the business.

Through the challenges I’ve been able to fall back on my years of experience working for different flower shops, event companies and freelancing. Having perspective on different parts of the industry has been invaluable when navigating the waters of small business ownership in this space. You have to wear many hats, with small things effecting the business in big ways. As well as the artistic chops you need a keen eye for the logistics of fresh flowers. They’re highly seasonal, perishable materials, where wastage is not only bad for the environment, but also a shop’s ability to operate efficiently.

It’s the passion for what I do that keeps me going through it all. Seeing a couple’s breath taken away by their wedding flowers, or simply getting a call from a client expressing their love is incredibly meaningful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My business, The English Garden, is a full service floral design studio. We have a retail location in Westlake Village serving everyday clients, as well as providing premium florals for weddings and events all across Los Angeles and Ventura. We are known for our expressive, colorful, and whimsical design – florals that highlight composition and respect negative space to create impactful forms. Our signature style is playfully timeless, where the traditional English garden meets a contemporary edge.

This is what sets us apart; intentional and thoughtful practices all the way from sourcing local where possible, to final designs made with skill and heart. We’re on a mission to help hundreds of clients escape the all too common ‘flower factory’ experience with higher quality florals for all occasions. Our whole team cares deeply about making it easy to send or receive something unforgettable.

This care for each piece that leaves our studio is what I’m most proud of. Whether sourcing and adding a premium hard to find varietal, working directly with a client to personalize florals to their unique needs or providing on the spot flower knowledge for those who need it – we’ve retained a real love for what we deliver that’s so hard to replicate.

This attention to our clients needs, and the floral design details, is why we’ve been fortunate enough to work closely with many prominent brands including Ralph Lauren, Cartier, Disney, and Tiffany & Co. We’ve also had the privilege of delivering events and weddings at top venues like the Bel-Air Bay Club and JW Marriott LA Live.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Take it day by day and remind yourself of your mission and passion. Remember to stop, smell, and appreciate the flowers even on the busiest, most challenging days.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theenglishgarden.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theenglishgarden_la/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEnglishGarden
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-english-garden-floral-designs
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-english-garden-westlake-village-2
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/theenglishgarden_la/

Image Credits
– Nicole Catherine Photography (colorful bridal bouquet)
– Symboll (bridal bouquet)
– Angel Sheree Photography (grooms boutonnière & wedding ceremony flowers)