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Orange is one of those surprising colors. When you find it in the flower world it is kind of like the middle child of colors. The first-born would, of course, be red. Deep intense blood-red or a flaming scarlet that makes you blink with its intensity. But the pressures off so to speak for orange, it can just be itself with no pretenses and in doing so can be spectacular in a way the other colors envy. It doesn’t have to be red and its way cooler than yellow so all it has to do is be there and be admired for itself alone. Kind of like Harry is today.

Back in the old days, no not just before computers, the really old days like centuries ago, when Kings were important, around say, the 1500’s. They had kings named William the 1th of Orange. Then they had number 2, 3, etc.They also had some princes, which are like Kings in training. You’ve more than likely heard of William The Silent, the Prince of Orange who founded the whole House of Orange thing. That house and it’s dynasty was only famous because it was named after the color, yeah you got it, Orange. Now being a King and generally in charge of everything, from cutting off churchmen’s heads to deciding whether to wear those goofy wigs or not, could pick any color in the entire world to name his house after. He could even make up a color if he wanted to, he was King, and you know, it is good to be the King. But he chose orange. Holy Mackerel, that must have been a big deal back then. I bet all those other royal houses were scrambling to pick a cool color to name their houses after, but they were too late, orange had been taken.

That’s why when you pass an orange flower in the garden you should tip your hat or raise your trowel in tribute to a flower that has its stuff together. Remember, it had its pick of what color it wanted to be and it chose wisely, grasshopper, it picked that special color of Kings, orange.