Floral & Event Design
Bubbles & Blooms
Evening of learning floral tips & how to create signature champagne cocktails.
Floral & Event Design
Bubbles & Blooms
Evening of learning floral tips & how to create signature champagne cocktails.
Reliving the Moments: Susan Hillyer Photo Gallery
Meet Susan
Susan Hillyer
ABOUT
Susan Hillyer is a third-generation floral designer whose journey in the world of flowers began in high school at Blooming Experience Irvine. Her passion for floral design quickly blossomed, leading her to partner with a high school friend to create stunning wedding arrangements from the game room of their home in Santa Ana Heights. This early venture marked the start of a remarkable career.
Susan's entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to her craft saw her open a location inside the Irvine Ranch Farmers Market grocery store, which eventually expanded to a warehouse in Santa Ana. From this warehouse, she not only produced events but also innovatively went to the Phllapeans with a return address from a shipping box from an LA wholesaler purchased a ticket to the philapeans to deign which then were sold to local florists who frequented the nearby wholesalers.
Through these large-scale events, Susan learned some tough lessons about the floral business, discovering that not all business is good business and experiencing firsthand the challenges of trusting clients' payments. A long time client hired Susan to do buisness events & parties and holiday gift baskets over three moths that was never paid for. This lessons led her to a pivotal moment, working off a debt at the L.A. Flower Market wholesaler from 1 AM to 8 AM. This unexpected turn of events became a cornerstone of her career, introducing her to a vibrant community of floral designers, florists, and significant community partners like the Jonathan Club and the Beach Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Susan's talent for holiday decor for prestigious locations like the California Plaza, high-rise lobbies, and hotels such as Museum Towers significantly expanded her portfolio. Her exceptional work caught the attention of Bristol Farms' owners, a high-end grocery chain poised for major expansion. Susan was hired to develop their floral program, which she named Bristol Gardens, focusing on bringing innovative floral products and designs to market first.
Her experience with Bristol Gardens provided Susan with national exposure and connections to influential figures in the floral industry. This exposure led her to achieve her high school dream of becoming a Floral Director for Safeway’s Eastern Division, overseeing stores across three states. However, after 9/11, her role was redirected to corporate Northern California as a Category Manager, a position she wasn’t passionate about.
ABOUT
Subsequently, Susan joined an Australian company as an importer and a California/Mexican grower, selling to mass markets. Her career took another turn when she became a caregiver for her father, leading to a leave of absence that lasted longer than anticipated. During this time, she continued to contribute to the floral community by assisting friends with high-end and small project installations.
A decade ago, Susan began working in the nonprofit sector, focusing on promoting healthy eating habits among school children. She initiated the Fast Food Challenge, encouraging kids to identify and consume the original fast foods: apples, oranges, and grapes. Those who successfully completed the challenge became Fast Food Challengers. Her commitment extended to working with growers to develop their products, managing certified farmers markets, and producing economic development projects.
A significant project during this time involved a small aerospace company in Torrance that asked Susan to set up a certified farmers market on their campus. After negotiations, a modified monthly event was established, and along with the company's HR department promoting farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, Susan's team began supplying the food department for the small aerospace company, then known as SpaceX. They provided locally sourced produce and worked with the LA Produce Terminal to procure unique and challenging items that most wholesalers couldn't find. This effort underscored their dedication to being a resourceful and hardworking team, always seeking the rare and extraordinary.
ABOUT
When the pandemic hit, Susan pivoted her efforts to expand the Healthy People Project to include the Healthy Pet Project. Realizing the crisis in the shelter system with a high number of dogs and cats without homes, she focused on preventing unplanned and unwanted litters that often end up in shelters. Despite the Herculean efforts of shelters, community partners, and nonprofits, the number of healthy animals euthanized was alarming. Susan't non profit Green Roackt AgVenture produced certified Markets from the South Bay Bubble to downtown LA. The most notibable was The WALL Food _ Flowers _ Farmers Market in the Heart of the LA Wholesale Flower District Clsoing Wall street to traffic and opening it to Food Flowers & Fun every Saturday reain or shine until the Pandemic alwasys beleiveing the market would reopen,
Today, Susan collaborates with the American Zoo Association on pet animal birth control initiatives, aiming to reduce the number of animals in shelters. This nonprofit work has become a central part of her mission, demonstrating her dedication to both human and animal welfare.
Susan Hillyer is not seeking to be a big event designer but focuses on delivering solid, creative designs for customers who appreciate quality, innovation, and exceptional product and design. Her new venture, showcased on Susanhillyer.com, is all about creating a place for discerning customers who value her unique approach to floral design. Susan’s rich history and dedication to her craft shine through every arrangement, making her a trusted name in the floral industry