Unassuming would be a word I would assign to Jim Del Prince. Jim generously shares his passion and expertise with students and fellow floral artists alike. Don’t be fooled by his humble demeanor. Behind the quiet facade lies a wealth of knowledge of floral design, the floral industry and horticulture. He is an accomplished teacher who can eloquently paint a beautiful picture in words, as he explains the cold mechanics of the science of design, or as he rattles off nomenclature that would put most florists into a tail spin.
Recently, Jim was recognized by Mississippi State University for his 25 years of service. We are grateful and honored that he has chosen to live his life for, arguably, one of the most beautiful elements on earth: flowers. I count myself lucky to know him personally. He has certainly gained my respect and admiration, as he has countless other students and floral friends. Today, Focal Points wants to put Jim in the spotlight with this poignant interview about his life and his love of flowers. Please join me in recognizing and celebrating his achievements.
Gerard Toh AIFD CFD CCF
Co-chair Focal Points Blog
Tell us a little bit about your childhood and where you grew up.
My hometown is Ashtabula, Ohio, in the NE corner of the state, on Lake Erie, 60 miles south of London, Ontario, Canada! A land of cold winters and lots of lake effect snowstorms. This part of the state hosts a lot of horticulture including ornamental plant nurseries, wholesale and retail, and vineyards. All four of my grandparents were Italian immigrants from the Abruzzo-Molise regions, south of Rome, arriving though NY in the early 1900s. My mother and father married in 1950 and I am the third of three boys, all of us Baby Boomers!
How did you get started in floral horticulture and design?
My dad was an avid gardener and my mom cooked with everything he grew. He also loved to take care of his lawn and shrubs, and had a side job taking care of the lawn and garden of an elderly widow who had a beautiful home nearby. I used to help him, not so much with the mowing because I was the baby, but with all the other light chores.
When I was in the 4th grade, I had the charge to buy a present for our music teacher to present to her at our Christmas concert. We collected a little over $11, and my Dad took me to a new store called The Happy Cricket. The logo was a modified Jiminy Cricket, and the store was wonderful, an old gas station with a glass pull-down door. It was the height of the 20th c. plant boom, and the shop had a terrarium section, filled with plants, in clay pots, from 3-inches to 6-inches diameter. They also had a large selection of tabletop and floor plants with baskets and jardinieres, including Ingrid pots, a two-piece, cylindrical plastic in designer colors, which were the rage of the time. The owner, Sandy Bowdler, and her employee, Connie Palm, took me through the store and showed me the plants and pots. Somehow, they were able to create what I remember to be a gorgeous presentation, wrapped in a poly bag, and tied with a red and green satin bow. I told them that I wanted to work there and eventually, I did.
My parents bought me a hobby greenhouse for the backyard. That structure, episodes of The Victory Garden, and a subscription to House Plants and Porch Gardens magazine helped me to zoom right into college.
Who has influenced you most significantly during your career?
Undoubtedly, Ralph Null AIFD, Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University. I was required to serve a teaching internship during my master’s degree at The Ohio State University. I sought out BS degree-granting institutions in the US that had full curricula in floristry. When I contacted Mr. Null about the prospect of the work, he told me that my timing was right and that they could accommodate me. Ralph encouraged AIFD membership and introduced me to everyone, from local florists and wholesalers, to international celebrities of floral design.
His philosophies and practices centered on the business of floristry. His way is design, not art, that floral designs have a decorative purpose for consumers. People want certain colors for their weddings or a permanent botanical design to complement their interior. This translated to his way of interacting within industry with professional practice. During my years on the MSU Campus, I emulated that custom which ultimately benefited my students ever since.
Three people who you consider mentors and what one important lesson each one taught you?
Mr. Null because of his assertions about creative naturalism, using materials from your yard, garden, and the natural landscape as a percentage combination with commercially produced plant materials. Many retailers do not, or cannot, accomplish this easily because it requires land access and “billable” time outside of the shop.
Hitomi Gilliam, for risk. She is one of the riskiest designers I know. Her theories are almost always on the edge, and she will risk her reputation for what she believes. Her heart and soul are devoted to educational endeavors that continually influence world floristry. Many know her and love her designs, but we, as an industry, do not grasp the importance of her accomplishments.
Joseph Smith for conveying the hard truths to customers and colleagues. Joe visited MSU twice for Artist in Residence programs, one of which included a VIP luncheon that literally saved our program from ruin. His plain talk, grounded in design and business theory, communicated decisions that had maximum impacts.
What would you describe as some of the highlights and most memorable moments of your career?
Our publications of The AIFD Guide to Floral Design, including all the pre-internet work we accomplished with weekend-long meetings and assignments. It was a bear, every time, but we all learned so much from each other.
AIFD Symposium presentations on Victorian Floral Design, Flowers in Art History, and the inaugural Design Directors program for Smithers Oasis. Working for Smithers and FloraCraft was fun, and provided me with a great way to earn, entertain, and be entertained!
Leaving a fully promoted and tenured faculty position to join the Extension ranks! I highly recommend my colleagues chuck everything and start over again! It has been like a new beginning, which indeed it is, because I know now what I didn’t know then! It’s challenging and I’m having a blast.
You’ve had the advantage of not only working professionally in floral design and horticulture, but also working with students from the ground up. What have you learned from that experience?
Allow people to learn based on their needs. It took me years to realize that I could only do for students what they allowed, not what I wanted for them. One of the most difficult things about being a college professor for me was that I learned so much, and met so many people that could have positively influenced my students, but that did not preclude that they want to learn and meet influencers, too. I’m speaking about traditional students, mostly young women in their early 20s. Now, I work with young women in their early 60s. They have lived their lives, and many have completed successful careers. They know what they want from floristry education and are quite objective. They help me as much as I help them, for sure.
What do you think about the direction of the floral industry and where do you see it heading in the near future?
Sustainability. Defining what that means to florists and the industry. Working toward saleable, sustainable floral design that takes a little skill but is not laborious.
Retailers need to stay ahead of consumers, sensing their needs and then tailoring products, service, and knowledge to exceed expectations. As we’ve always said, finding needs and filling them is the way to make money. Listen to consumers, both those inside and outside of your sphere. Listen to young people in the industry and those in research. There are some powerhouse young PhDs out there who have the knowledge and skills to enlighten us on marketing, social behavior, and floristry, in general.
What do you think about the current styles of floral design and the direction non-classical social media influencers have taken us?
You have to look deeper than the flash of a cool design image or smart photography. What makes a great designer is far more than that. AIFD provides us with a chance to do just that, a platform for establishing theory, telling others “This is how it works,” or why something is important. The platform is more than a main stage program! It is found in the side hall conversations, the cocktail hours, the introductions.
From your perspective as an educator, what could the industry be doing to nurture future leaders and even more creative floral design?
If we keep the venues and platforms in place, and invent new channels of communication flow, they will float in with us, just that way we did.
If you could make sure your students graduate with one key principle, what would that be?
If something you tried didn’t work, whether it was a marketing project, a corsage mechanic, or an entire business operation, learn from that valuable experience and do not be so discouraged that you do not try again.
Tell us 5 things you could not do without as a floral designer or design educator.
Products, in order:
- Floral knife, sharp, folding
- Rubber bands of all sizes
- Pruners
- Wide-brimmed hat, to block out as much of the sun as possible
- Floralife Express, no recutting necessary, flower food
Non-tangibles:
- Support. My partner Demetrius is the best thing that happened to me. If your home life is not supportive, your work suffers.
- Learners. I search for them in marketing efforts and try my best to cultivate and foster positive relationships with them.
- Creative interaction. I need to talk with creative people daily or I go mad. I have long commutes that often begin around 5:20 AM CST, and I like to start in with motivational talks and ideas on my phone!
- Writing. I do it daily, including technical, scientific writing, emails, texts, posts.
- Marketing. I am constantly striving to keep my Extension programs at the forefront.
What is your favorite flower or plant to work with? Why?
I really do love a long list of flowers and foliage, particularly if they are well-grown, so it might be easier to list what I do not like:
Calendula – I mean, really? Leave the flowers on the plant for the best appearance and use them in a vegetative design.
Hydrangea- Many designers use them with little thought to their overpowering impact and physiological moisture needs. Again, best left on the shrub and grown as a healthy, lovely plant, potted or in the landscape. They are way too popular as a cut flower these days and poorly used as an armature. It would be so nice to just happen upon them rather than see them so frequently. I feel that way about flowers that fall into fashion: Phalaenopsis, Dahlia.
What is your favorite color or color combinations?
It really is all about the available light, isn’t it? Consider the lighting first, then the colors will happen.
When you’re not working with flowers, teaching or writing, what do you do for fun?
We love to travel. I enjoy the decorative arts and history of diverse places. As of now, the place I love the most is Venice during Carnivale. The balls and dinner events in private palazzos are incredible. I’d love to travel to Kyoto and think it would be mind-blowing in the autumn.
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us. Any final words of wisdom?
If you truly believe in something, and it doesn’t hurt anyone, pursue it and don’t take no for an answer.
Thank you Dr Del Prince for this insightful look into your world of flowers!
Below, please see links to his courses and publications.
Free MSU Extension publications for floral design training. See: https://extension.msstate.edu/publications Jim DelPrince author.
Upcoming courses and workshops: https://reg.extension.msstate.edu/view/cal10a.aspx?ek=&ref=&aa=&sid1=&sid2=&as=81&wp=326&tz=&ms=&nav=&cc=&cat1=&cat2=&cat3=&aid=MSU&rf=&pn=
This is a beautifully written article on an outstanding man! This is what makes our industry proud!