Suzanne Askham

Wellbeing notes: Dainty dose of colour therapy

“Just look!” said my dad. “Fox-and-cubs – the wind must have blown the seeds in.” He was pointing to a wild patch of lawn in his Wiltshire garden. Here and there were little dabs of orange, waving on fine stalks. There was something unusual and pleasing about the vivid colour. Right then, I fell in love with Pilosella aurantiaca, to give the Latin name. And nowadays, in June and July, I seem to see them everywhere.

These vibrant flowers are so called because individual blooms are said to resemble foxes; the buds, their young. Native to Europe and a few other places, they’re naturalised here in the UK. You can grow them in borders. However they are especially lovely in lush wildflower lawns.

Once considered a medicinal plant, their most important contribution nowadays may be to bring much needed colour therapy to balance mind and spirit. Orange is often associated with emotional wellbeing – perfect for anyone who considers their life to be somewhat grey. And yet too much orange can have the opposite effect, overwhelming a sensitive disposition. That’s possibly why Pilosella aurantiaca is so pleasing to the eye: visually, the plant is dainty, never completely dominating its green surroundings.

Maybe there’s a place in your life for Fox-and-cubs, or perhaps you can think of another flower that brings a similar sort of joy. Whatever the case, I wish you the perfect degree of nature’s colour therapy to enhance your life this summer.