Feng
Shui In The Garden
by Bonnie Girvan
There may be two feet of snow on the ground
but in our hearts we know warm breezes, thawing earth (mud) and bird songs
are on their way. For some of us the most exciting thought is of planning
this year's garden. No matter the garden size, anticipating the fun of
co-creating a beautiful, nurturing outdoor space is a pure joy. Applying
feng shui principles in addition to our other gardening skills gives us
new tools to create a garden that is not only beautiful, but will enhance
and support our lives.
A feng shui garden can be designed to
enhance all areas of our lives. A garden with the intention to empower an
area of our lives is created by using color, plant materials, water, and
sculpture in combination with the natural environment. The activity of
creating, caring for and spending time in this type of garden will draw
the energy (chi) of nature to us to strengthen and build our good fortune.
Feng shui wisdom can be used to correct a house that is missing an area,
it can support us in creating a family or a healing space. The process of
harmonizing with our natural environment will support us living more
fully.
No matter what focus we want for our
garden, good, lush greenery is a sign of good feng shui. When thinking in
terms of feng shui many things are taken into consideration such as the
plot and house shapes, colors of the house and driveway, existing gardens
and the surrounding homes. The appropriately colored plant placed in the
desired area can enhance that area of our lives. For example, a white
garden planted in the "children area" (dwe) may increase the
chances and prospects of having children. This garden can have a
background of white Korean lilacs with white roses in front bordered with
white sweet alyssum and accented with pink and blue colors represented by
columbine, forget-me-nots or pansies.
In order to determine which areas of a plot
of land or building are aligned with the various aspects of life, a
diagram called a baqua (or ba-gua) is superimposed over the property or
dwelling so that k'an is aligned over the front entrance of the space. The
baqua is divided into eight aspects of life: career, fame, children,
family, relationships, helpful people, knowledge and wealth. Each area has
a corresponding element such as earth, fire, water, metal and wood. Each
area also has a corresponding color. For example, the wealth area, in the
left rear corner of your property is represented by green, purple or red
To enhance this area you can plant tall dark purple lilacs. A further
enhancement to this area can be exterior lighting that shines upward and
illuminates the area of hsun.
Another important garden is one that greets
us at the threshold. This area should greet us and make us feel happy to
be home. It should be clean, unobstructed and lush. If this area is the
career area of our property we can enhance it by using lush plantings with
colorful flowers. Never use sharp prickly plants that scratch us as we
walk up the path to the threshold. Also avoid overgrown plants or bushes
that block us and chi. A curved pathway is best for a gentle flow of
energy towards the front door, especially if there is a busy street in
front of our home. Also the path or walkway to our door should be in good
repair and wide enough to take in a good amount of chi.
If you live in an apartment you can apply
feng shui garden concepts by adding outdoor and indoor hanging plants,
window boxes and potted plants. These container plantings should be
colorful, flowering plants. If you have east or southeast windows you can
add herbs to your planters for culinary use. An inside, hanging, flowering
plant is very important because it has the effect of bringing the chi of
Nature inside and will greatly benefit everyone living there.
No matter what type of gardening we do, it
is important to show love and respect for the earth by not using
chemicals. There are many available natural fertilizers and bug
repellants. It has been my experience that by spending time in the garden
we can identify and manage problems before they get out of control. You
can receive expert advice by asking a local organic gardener or landscaper
or by reading organic pest control and companion planting books.
The underlying message of feng shui is to
create balance and harmony. The importance of the garden is its ability to
grow and expand and offer us more life force. Gardening also gives us the
ability to be creative in the ever-changing natural world. Some guidelines
to follow for a feng shui garden:
