orange picking Archives - I am a Honey Bee

I grew up going apple picking, so when I moved to Florida 2 years ago, I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t get to experience the joys of getting to pick fresh fruit while living here.

But, Florida has providing me with plenty of great opportunities to get out and pick fresh fruits and vegetables, just not apples. While I miss getting to pick apples, I have enjoyed picking tomatoes, blueberries, and strawberries. Now I can add picking oranges to the list.

We recently went to Dooley Groves, about a 20 minute drive from our house.

Dooley Groves is a family owned grove that was started in the 1960’s. They offer a wide variety of citrus that is available from November to April.

Beside their shop and their you-pick groves, you can order their citrus for home delivery.

I had heard such good things about Dooley Grove from friends that we knew that we needed to check it out. Plus, getting bunches of oranges is so yummy and fun.

We went to pick Honeybell Oranges, which are a hybrid of Duncan Grapefruit and Dancy Tangerines. They are bright in color and densely packed with really sweet juicy meat. Honeybells are in season for a short period of time, which makes them in high demand.

While Hunter was just along for the ride for our picking adventure, he did enjoy the Honeybells when we got home. Man, he loves oranges!!!

Watching this bee buzz around all different flowers was so cool. His legs were packed full of pollen. Off to the hive buddy!

Autumn had a blast at the grove.

She was eager in selecting which Honeybells to pick and to help load them up in our bag. Can’t beat getting to run around in rainboots on a sunny day while picking fruit. Gotta love when 4 year olds dress themselves.