Designer Showcase

Education Specialist

Ralph Null AIFD, AAF, PFCI Design Concepts Columbus, Mississippi

Ralph Null AIFD, AAF, PFCI, is an internationally recognized leader in the floral arts and retail floriculture. During his floral career, he has presented more than 850 lecture demonstrations throughout the world. His personable style and exceptional speaking skills create an excellent learning atmosphere that is both educational and enjoyable. For more than 25 years, he was associated with Mississippi State University where he rose to the rank of full professor and was awarded Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1992. He is a member of Teleflora’s acclaimed Education Specialist team.

His floral creations have graced White House state dinners, presidential inaugurals, the windows of Saks and Macy’s, Neiman Marcus catalogues, and have appeared in many national and international publications. He has exhibited in London, Oslo, Cape Town, Sydney and Tokyo, as well as throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He has judged national and international floral exhibitions and competitions. He has served as president of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), and is the immediate past CFO of the AIFD Foundation.

Professional recognitions include Fellow of the American Institute of Floral Designers, Life Achievement Award by the Mississippi Florist Association, the Gold Award by the Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, the Poetker Award by the American Horticulture Society for enhancement of the American aesthetic, and the Tommy Bright Award, for floral communicating from the Professional Floral Communicators International.

He has authored A Florist Guide to Successful Weddings, which is used as an accompaniment to Teleflora’s Wedding Album; A Christmas Collection, Spring Arrangements from the Southern Garden and Summer Arrangements from the Southern Garden, and Fall and Winter Arrangements from the Southern Garden, a trilogy of garden-season books. His articles and designs have appeared in many publications for the consumer as well as for the floral trade. He has been featured as a Fine Arts and Flowers lecturer/designer at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The New Orleans Museum of Fine Arts, The Chrysler Museum of Norfolk, The Walters Gallery, Baltimore, The Legion of Honor Museum of Art, San Francisco, and the Minneapolis Art Institute.

His personal interests include entertaining, decorating, garden design and collecting baskets and rabbits. He makes his home in Columbus, Mississippi, where he is actively involved in the arts, helps to sponsor Camp Rising Sun, a summer camp for children with cancer, teaches Sunday School and has served as chair of the decoration and restoration committee and The Flower Guild of the historic First United Methodist Church.