My orange rose brings me joy. At the time of writing it is 23 years old and still in the same pot! I prune it, feed it and let it do its thing. And in return it makes me happy. It is not a bad exchange!
My Orange Rose
I call it my orange rose, but in reality it is more an orange and apricot rose with red edges. As you can see from the photographs. The colours change as the flower develops which is one of the things I really like about it.
As a rose bud it has a deep red exterior and the orange is revealed as the bud unfurls. As the flower opens fully, the yellow centre with pretty stamens is revealed and the red becomes less. I have no idea what the variety is, it is so long ago since I bought it. My intention was that it would climb over an archway but in fact it grew to about my head height and seems happy there. It has not grown any further.
We know the good weather times are coming when the rose starts to bud and when it flowers it just radiates happiness in the sunshine. We eat our lunch sitting near it and it always makes me so full of joy to see the flowers.
Properties of the Colour Orange
Reverting to my colour therapy training for a moment, what are the properties of the colour orange?
Orange is between red and yellow on the colour spectrum. One of the things I particularly like about my orange rose is that it contains elements of all three colours. The colour orange relates to the sacral chakra which is about self-respect. It is the colour of excitement, creativity, joy and enthusiasm. Orange is also stimulating and warming. For some people, orange is a difficult colour because of its vibrancy. Personally, I only like it as occasional highlights in the home rather than blocks of colour.
When I was 14 I had a bright orange trouser suit (with a chain belt – remember them?). As an adult I have hardly ever worn the colour. Though I do have a very bright and cheerful orange scarf that has seen the light of day on occasion.
Orange in Feng Shui
In Feng Shui orange is considered a social colour. It is used in rooms where you might have lively conversations, entertain people and have happy times in the home. Used like this, it is a good choice in home decor for the living room, dining room, kitchen and children’s play room.
At our house the orange rose edges our outside dining area and is in our view at all times. When it is coming into full bloom in May it is a wonder to behold. I am sure you will agree?
Addendum: It looks like my rose is called ‘Joseph’s Coat’. My thanks to the commenter drawing my attention to the name of the variety.
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
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Thank you for reading!
That’s a beautiful rose. We used to have one called ‘Joseph’s Coat’ that was similar. Ours wasn’t as hardy as yours and didn’t live more than a few years but I do remember the pretty blossoms.
I just looked up ‘Joseph’s Coat Rose’ and it looks exactly like ours. I didn’t mention in my blog that ours has a lovely perfume and I notice so does ‘Joseph’s Coat’. So thank you for bringing that to my attention! I seem some species of climbing rose will live to fifty years so think you were just unlucky.