It feels very naughty to digitally manipulate the colour of roses to move them away from reality. So I don’t do it often. My incentive for this tomfoolery was that, browsing through other bloggers’ interpretations for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Layered, I saw lots of flowers, and couldn’t resist joining in with some double flowered roses of my own.
As so many people desire a blue rose, this was my first attempt to make nature unnatural. It’s not entirely successful, but, in the words of so many British quizmasters, I’ve started, so I will finish.
The blue roses do have an alien beauty, once your mind accepts the affront. Perhaps on another world all roses are like this, and those there crave pink ones.
I made the lavender one next, cropping the picture to focus on the most attractive flower – for me, the sideways facing one at the bottom of the cluster. Lavender roses are not half as sought after as blue roses, but if you are kind enough to follow me despite the odd affront to your senses such as this one, I’m hoping the lavender version will appear in your feed. The blue one might be too much of a nasty shock for purists like myself.
Finally I’ve made an orange one, which looks surprisingly realistic.
I’m awarding the accolade ‘Top Rosarian’ to all those who can guess what colour this rose really is. It’s well worth hazarding a guess if you crave the honorary title, as there aren’t that many rose colours left. [Clue for any real rosarians who have stuck with me through this floral fantasy: the bloom shape is distinctive if you know your English roses. ]
And finally a treat for lovers of shabby chic – a cluster of ‘Scepter’d Isle’ roses, the colour that nature intended, with a few faded cosmos flowers to accentuate the shabbiness.
Phew. Normal service is resumed…
Susan Rushton 
I have to confess I liked these. Just don’t do it again 🙂
Message understood.
They’re lovely even if they’ve been altered. It’s ok to dabble in color art once in a while! At least you were honest about it and didn’t try to make people think the color was real. 🙂
Yes, there is that.
When I was a kid, I went through a phase where I kept asking my mum whether blue roses exist. I remember watching a movie in which some dude was on a quest to find a blue rose (I think?) so maybe that’s where my obsession began.
My sweetheart likes a story about a prince seeking a rose, but I think that was a red one. I’ll have to ask him.
They’re all gorgeous!
Thanks Desley. I once came away from a trade show with an artificial black rose I’d been given. I think I have it somewhere, though it never feels right to me, somehow, as a rose or as a symbol. A rose should have light as well as shade, I think.
Light and shade, how very true. Although black would have been wild!
Beautiful and fun to imagine they were real!
I don’t think I’d want the blue one, but the lavender… perhaps!
Phew indeed!
Fabulous and colourful gallery! 🙂 Bye. K
Just found your blog and am captivated! Have already added you to my blog feed. I have my morning coffee and will be reading items on your website. Thanks for providing me with a delightful morning.