Our People, Our Pride: Meet Cecilia from OC Succulents

Cecilia has only been with OC Succulents for about three years, but her connections to gardening and the plant life run much deeper. We sat down with Cecilia recently to chat more about her connection to succulent gardening, her family, and her career!

Q: Tell us about yourself and your role at OC Succulents and California Greenhouses. 

A: I do a little bit of everything! I’m the Social Media Coordinator for OC Succulents, which I absolutely love. I create picture and video content for our social media pages, mainly of our products and our incredible crew, but I also work on the customer service side of things. I love the balance! I get to meet people from all over who come to shop with us while also getting to work on the back end, creating and editing content that I then get to share with the world.

OC Succulents-California- Cecilia staff at OC Succulents-Cecilia and father
Q: How long have you worked at OC Succulents? 

A: I’m getting up to three years here.

Q: What does gardening mean to you? Did you grow up around garden centers or in the gardening world? 

A: I did! My dad basically brought me into the plant world. He’s been in the gardening business for something like 33 years or more now, and he also works here at OC Succulents. He was really the one that introduced me to plants and gardening, and he knows a lot about succulents, so we’d grow them together in pots when I was little. 

OC Succulents-California- Cecilia staff at OC Succulents-zebra haworthia plant
Q: Do you have a favorite plant or product at the moment? 

A: Oh yes! My favorite has always been the Haworthia zebra. It was one of the first plants my dad ever gifted me, so it holds a very special place in my heart. Sometimes when I see a really nice specimen come in, I just have to buy it because it reminds me of that special bond my dad and I share through plants and gardening.

OC Succulents-California- Cecilia staff at OC Succulents-assorted plants
Q: What does your personal plant collection or garden look like?

A: Mostly everything is succulents! We have a shelf outside at home that’s just covered in them. I’m not great with houseplants; every time I try to take care of one, it gets so sad and dies on me, so I stick to gardening with succulents! You can leave them alone a bit more without hurting them. Some of my current favorites in my collection are the desert rose, the variegated string of pearls, lithops, and peperomia watermelon.

Q: How do you use that space personally? What are some of the benefits of gardening, in your opinion?

A: I really just see gardening as a fun pastime that I can share with my dad. Whenever we see a new variety or get a propagation going, we get to talk about it and continue to bond over it, and I think that’s really special. It’s also just a great way to relax!

OC Succulents-California- Cecilia staff at OC Succulents-agave plant
Q: Did you foresee a career for yourself in the gardening industry?

A: I love what I do here and would love to continue doing this kind of work! I love coming up with new ideas for videos and content, as well as creating offers for our clients and customers. No matter what I do for work, though, I know that I’ll spend my life gardening with succulents; they’re just so much a part of who I am.

Q: What makes you proud to work with OC Succulents?

A: The people. It’s amazing; working here really feels more like being a part of a big family that loves gardening rather than being around a bunch of coworkers. It’s just such a great environment. You walk in to start your day, and your family’s all here. Well, with my dad working here as well, I guess mine literally is!

Q: Are there any unique projects you’ve worked on in the past or are working on presently that you’re especially proud of?

A: I’m really proud of our texting campaigns and how many wonderful customers we’ve gotten to meet as a result. Having people constantly coming in excited about gardening with succulents and wanting to see what we have available is really exciting, and again, I just love getting to meet everyone!

OC Succulents-California- Cecilia staff at OC Succulents-assorted succulents
Q: What is a typical “day in the life” like at OC Succulents?

A: It’s hard to say because things really do change day by day! Sometimes we’re helping customers, sometimes we’re bringing in a new shipment of plants, and sometimes, we’re caring for the plants we already have at the nursery; there’s so much to do, and it never gets boring!

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

A: I’d just really like to encourage people to come by and check us out! We have such a fantastic group of people here who love what they do, and all of us are so excited to talk about succulents with our customers. Once you come in and meet our people and see our amazing plants, you’ll be a customer for life.

 

If you’re in the market for succulents and looking to live your very best gardening life, come visit Cecilia and the rest of the OC Succulents team at our greenhouse in Orange County, CA!


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