The Director of Education for Delaware Floral Design is John W. Gillespie of Newark, DE who has over 10 years experience in the floral industry and is a Master Floral Designer.

Originally from Ohio, John went to Tennessee to become a science teacher where he received a B.S. in biology, with an emphasis in botany. John began teaching in Cecil County Maryland and continued with his own education to obtain both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Education.

After more than 20 years in teaching, he decided to leave teaching and began looking for a new direction for his talents. Eventually, he finally returned to his childhood interest in floristry and began moving to a new career in that direction, working as a floral designer and manager, and now as a floral design instructor.

As a personal challenge he took on a failing floral department which was in double digit decline, and in just two weeks, by Valentine's Day, he had turned the department around, stopping the double digit decline and even increasing sales by 35% over the same time the previous year; by Mother's Day he had increased the weekly sales by 90% over the previous year. John continued meeting and exceeding all established goals and corporate sales projections at his store while serving as the Floral Department Manager. At the urging of several of his customers, John decided to take the next natural step and unite his love for teaching with his love for floral design by teaching floral design.

Dr. Gillespie holds Diplomas in Floral Design from Penn Foster Career School; in Floristry / Floral Design, with Highest Honors, from Stratford Career Institute; and, in Professional Floral Design, with Honors, from Ashworth College. His knowledge in the field of floral design, while at Ashworth College, gained him membership in the National Honor Society, Delta Epsilon Tau. He also holds a Certificate of Merit in Floral Design from Longwood Gardens.

In the belief that education is a continuing ongoing process, and there is always more to learn, John continues to take classes and workshops in floral design and is also currently working on a diploma in Gardening and Landscaping.

John is the Newark (DE) Floral Design Examiner for the Wilmington edition of the Examiner.com and has published over 400 articles about subjects related to the floral industry and floral design. John is a member of Creative Floral Arrangers of The Americas (CFAA) and a member of the Society of American Florists (SAF).

Director of Education ~

           John W. Gillespie, Ph.D.

© 2011. DELAWARE FLORAL DESIGN. All Rights Reserved

John is available as a speaker and to make presentations to garden clubs and other organizations dealing with floral design. The presentation will be designed specifically to meet the needs of your organization. Your organizations presentation will be specifically designed to teach, entertain and inspire the audience on the subject you desire. 

Presentations can be in a number of different desired formats such as lecture, demonstration, workshop activates, or a combination of these formats. Where possible all presentations will be accompanied by power point presentations and will include hand-outs designed to enhance the presentation topic.

John is available as a consultant and freelance designer on floral design for area weddings and events.