Orange Estates oranges

Orange Estates still has remnants of the orange trees that once covered much of Downey.

KCET  wrote an interesting article that tells the tale of Downey: From Orange Groves to the Apollo Space Program.

Sometimes I forget how long people have lived in the Downey area. It was in the late 1800s that John G. Downey realized the great potential of the citrus industry in southern California. He imported a number of different varieties of oranges into his settlement, and by the 1880s there were many acres of orange groves in the areas adjacent to Downey.

Fun fact: An orange tree can grow to reach 30 feet and live for over a hundred years.

Downey trees

The majority of fruit trees in Downey are of two varieties. They are either orange or avocado. Years ago, Downey was mostly populated with orange groves. As more people desired to move to the Los Angeles suburbs, land owners saw the opportunity to increase their wealth by subdividing their land into smaller lots and putting houses on each one. My wife and I live on such a lot. Now, there are only a handful of privately owned parcels of land in Downey that are larger than an acre. But many of the orange trees were left on the subdivided plots for the new owners.

Avocado trees have also been a popular tree in Downey. Their sturdy build (the trunks can grow to a diameter of two feet), their ease of care, and their delicious fruit make them a favorite of homeowners, although they can be messy for some of the year. This avocado tree is not a Hass variety, so the yield is from January to March each year as opposed to year-round for the Hass trees. See more about the Hass avocados here.

What is your favorite use for avocados or oranges?

It's official

We've posted before about the Orange Estates area of Downey, where there used to be more orange trees than houses. (See If you're an orange.) Now it's officially an area, as you can see by the updated street signs with the "D" logo printed on an orange, and "Orange Estates" on top.

Kind of makes me feel special!

A hedge of oranges

Downey has a history of being known for growing oranges. By the late 1800s, there were many acres of orange groves covering what was to become Downey.  Although the groves are now gone, many orange trees remain in front and back yards.

We have shared pictures of several of them over the years, but I have never encountered an orange hedge. Whether this is an old or a new orange hedge, clearly it is thriving and continuing the legacy of Downey's orange-growing abilities.

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.
~ Alfred Austin

Oranges everywhere

It's orange season again! This picture contains three common sights these days: an orange tree covered with ripe oranges, a wood pole supporting a branch that is weighed down by too many ripe oranges, and the tools to pick ripe oranges.

I could say more, but I'll end with this...just substitute "picture" for "character...
"Google is my best friend and my worst enemy. It's fabulous for research, but then it becomes addictive. I'll have a character eating an orange, and next thing I'm Googling types of oranges, I'm visiting chat rooms about oranges, I'm learning the history of the orange."
~ Liane Moriarty

The winter orange

The Orange Estates area of Downey is living up to its name right now. All of the orange trees are covered with oranges that are just getting sweeter and more orange every day.

February, March, and April are the peak season for the California navel orange, when the oranges are at their sweetest. According to Produce Pete, look for oranges that are shiny and heavy in the hand.

Mouth-watering

Mouth-watering: Very appetizing in appearance, aroma, or description: a mouth-watering dessert.

One of the delights of the weekly farmer's market in downtown Downey is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. On table after table, there are vast displays of both to appeal to the eyes, and samples to appeal to the taste buds.

Later this week, I'll show you what appealed to my nose.

Orange you glad...

As the sight of a Sunkist packing plant, the downtown area of Downey was once covered in orange groves. Although in the 50s and 60s the orange groves were replaced with homes and businesses, many old orange trees remain. Where I live in Orange Estates, orange trees are still common for many of the properties.

Here is a "taste" of what you might see walking around our neighborhood.

Follow the oranges

A couple of months ago, I wrote about the abundance of oranges in Downey. (See If you're an orange.) So what can you do with all these oranges?

These teens decided to create a treasure hunt while they waited for their friend to get home. It started with "follow the oranges." Then, if I remember right, it went to a clue at the side of the house, back to the porch, then to the mailbox, to the fireplace, to the basketball court in back, to a closed umbrella that, when opened, dropped flower petals and a note saying, "You're awesome!".

What a great welcome home!

If you're an orange

California is a fine place to live - if you happen to be an orange.
~Fred Allen

I live in a section of Downey referred to as the Orange Estates. You can understand why it's called that when you see the multitude of orange trees heavy with ripe fruit at this time of year.

Historically, Downey was a citrus center. The Sunkist packing plant was located on Firestone Blvd. Most of the Orange Estates area used to be orange orchards. (For some background information, see the Downey Patriot article here.)

Very few people actually collect the oranges to eat. Piles of rotting oranges are very common.