Times and Tides of a Beachwriter is brought to you today by the colour orange. We round off the last blog of many colours with a round colour. Which came first, the colour or the fruit? The fruit.
It wasn’t until these citrus fruits were introduced to the west in the late 15th century, by Portuguese merchants coming from Asia, that the Sanskrit word nāraṅga was coined. It eventually made its way through the romance languages and became orange in English.
Thanks to Brigid of Watching the Daisies for suggesting Coral. You can enjoy her lovely colourful garden here.
https://watchingthedaisies.com/
Coral is a reddish or pinkish shade of orange. The colour is named after the sea animal coral. Under the sea, or in a fish tank, orange is a popular colour, from the exotic to common goldfish. Every now and then I feel like dyeing ( no not dying ) and one day decided to dye some throws orange; the colour was called gold fish orange. If it’s a very dreek day, watching bright orange dye go round and round in your front loader washing machine is recommended to cheer you up.
In the garden orange is one of my favourite colours; gazanias and cape daisies open up only in sunlight, but nasturtiums add zing to the dullest days. In winter pansies brighten tubs and window boxes and there is always an orange option.
Orange is popular for making a brand statement, but in fashion and interior design I think orange comes and goes. My father brought little of interest home from the plastics factory where he was manager, in the days when plastic was fantastic. There was the Velcro strip he was excited about, but more fun for me was a piece of plastic fabric in psychedelic orange from which I made a mini skirt. Fortunately no picture exists.
Orange is the second colour of the rainbow, the colour of alpha and omega; the beginning and the end, sunrise and sunset. A good colour to end the blogs of many colours.
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 
I wonder how much Sanskrit is still around.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello David. Plenty of Sanskrit still around. I might write my next blog in it. We went to a Hindu wedding in Slough and it was in Sanskrit with the priest providing translation.
LikeLike
We have some lovely orange marigolds in our garden. Yellow is my favourite colour but both shades make one happy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Julie, I love marigolds, but so do our slugs so I never plant them.
LikeLike
Lovely. Really lovely AND informative.😊🍊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Kim.
LikeLike
I remember orange being a popular colour for furnishings and wallpaper in the 60s. What were we thinking?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always think of the mobile advert, ‘The is bright, the future is orange’, followed by those B&Q trucks.😂 I’d like to see that psychedelic mini skirt!!
xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely post, Janet. I love yellow, pink and orange in that order. Do you really put dye in the washing machine? I would have used a tub or bath.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Robbie. Yes Dylon dye designed for washing machines – you have to do a rinse wash afterwards!
LikeLike
I love orange Janet!! Love the image of the washing machine 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hello Debbie, yes it was a lot of fun watching it go round and round in orange frothiness and I even posted a picture on Facebook.
LikeLike
I like orange now (in moderate quantities), but at one time I disliked it because of its association with orange shag carpets in the ’70s. And you’re right — orange zings up the garden beautifully. It goes well with green, yellow, blue, and purple. Even pink, if it’s a bright,hot pink.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In a box of crayons, I have always been the orange, so of course I loved this. Some really interesting writing here. Thank you very kindly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Anne, I enjoyed writing about colours and discovering what different meanings they have for us.
LikeLike