How "Feng Shui" Is Your Garden?

How "Feng Shui" Is Your Garden?

. You may have heard the term “Feng Shui” used to describe homes and buildings, but did you know it can be used to design a beautiful and harmonious garden? Simply put, Feng Shui is the traditional Chinese practice of arranging the environment in a way that maximizes the flow of "Chi," or the energy force found in all things. It is said that practicing Feng Shui tenets can help you to harness good energy and deflect bad energy, leading to health, wealth, and happiness. In order to design a Feng Shui garden, you need to know about the five elements; you also need to figure out the energy map, or "Bagua," of your house, since the garden is considered part of your home. Balancing yin and yang elements is also very important, as is keeping all objects, plants, and animals in excellent condition. I can’t possibly explain everything about Feng Shui in this brief blog post, but here are a few tips on how to incorporate Feng Shui principles in your garden by region. If you already have permanent structures in your garden, you may need to find a way to balance them.

The North The North is associated with personal development, careers, and creativity. The element for the North is water, so this is a great place for a swimming pool, fountain, or a pond. Water represents ease and abundance and promotes wealth. I guess this is why you see a lot of fountains and koi ponds in Chinese restaurants! The shapes in this area should be curvy, and the best colors to use in this area are the water element colors of black and blue. A black metal tortoise statue or decoration in the North section of the garden can enhance positive energy for your career; a tortoise placed in the back of the garden offers protection of the home. Plum trees, deep colored orchids, and blue irises are good flower choices for this area. Metal wind chimes are also appropriate here—wind chimes supposedly deflect bad energy. The Northeast This area is connected to wisdom, spirituality, knowledge, and intellectual pursuits. The element for the Northeast is earth. This is a perfect area for a Zen rock garden, earthen statues, and large stones. The best colors to use here are the earth element colors of beige, pale yellow, and tan.

The Northwest Fatherhood, travel, and benefactors are represented in this region. The element for this area is metal, so it is a good place for statues, bells, metal wind chimes and other metal decor. The metal element’s colors of white and gray should be used here. From what I have seen in Feng Shui garden design, this area is often left somewhat plain. It is a very critical area, because, according to lore, if this area has bad energy the whole family will be negatively affected. The East The East is the place for trees, plants, and wood features or furniture. This area is connected to good health, ancestors, family life, rebirth and overcoming illness. This is a great place for a medicinal herb garden. A green dragon, which is the most powerful of the celestial animals in Feng Shui, is considered auspicious when placed in this area. The colors green and blue and peonies are considered especially

Lucky in this region.  Koi Pond[/caption] Photo by: Wonderlane. The Southeast This section of the garden represents wealth, communication, and possessions. Wood is the element, so it is favorable to grow lots of plants here. A water feature here is also good luck as it is said to bring in wealth to the home, and it should be seen from the house; fish, especially koi, are considered very lucky. Wooden wind chimes can be used here if desired. The West This is the place for children, socializing, fun, and creativity. Metal is the element, so this area is perfect for a metal swing set, bar, or other entertaining space made of metal. White and gray objects are best used here. A white tiger in the West offers protection and white flowers are lucky, especially white chrysanthemums. As in the North section, metal wind chimes are considered lucky here.

The Southwest The Southwest section is home to motherhood, romance, marriage, relationships and love. Earth features should be used, like sports courts, pebbles, or a brick or stone patio. The earth element colors should be incorporated here. The yang of lights helps to balance the yin element—I think a string of patio lights or some ground lights along a pebble path would be beautiful. The South This region symbolizes festivities, fame, and dreams. The South is for fire features such as barbecues, fire pits, or burn piles. You can also plant trees and flowers here in colors of red, orange, and yellow; symbolically, the wood element nurtures the fire element by feeding it so plants fit in well here. Azaleas are especially good plants for this area. 

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