Feng Shui Your Garden

Feng Shui is a body of knowledge, which analyses the interaction between humans, their inner selves and their outer environment. It maintains that you can achieve real happiness, harmony and balance in life by changing your inner landscape with changes in your outer one.
Feng Shui literally means wind and water and it is a way of living in harmony with nature. It brings together earth’s essential elements and universal invisible energy called the ‘chi’ which affects our physical, emotional and spiritual health. The science of feng Shui enables us to create balanced and harmonious environments (indoors or outdoors) to improve the quality of our lives and help fulfil our dreams and aspirations.
Feng Shui principles woven together in a garden with free flowing movement of the meandering paths, a water feature, a fish pond, placement of appropriate plants, rockery, archways, and colourful flowers creates an environment of harmony, balance and peace within any garden space, whether large or small.
The art of placement takes into account the interaction of the five elements of nature, namely Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire. In a garden, they are all represented through the use of colours of plants and selection of special features.
Garden Layout:
These five elements are introduced in the garden using a Bagua Grid showing all the nine areas of life, what each one represents in terms of elements, colours and sector of life. For instance, the relationship area represents earth element, and beige colour. This would then be an ideal place for placing a beige sculpture of soft stone of two people in a state of receptivity. For guidance, a Bagua grid is shown later with recommendations listed for placements for each of the 9 zones.
The rectangular grid can be placed over the plan of your garden to identify the zones. Each zone has an energy field which can be enhanced by correct placements. The garden entrance can be from 8, 1 or 6 if you like the three door method of alignment. Followers of classical compass method place zone 1 in the North and zone 9 in the South. The rest is simple with the list that follows in a clockwise sequence.
Zone Colour Shape Plants/flowers
1:: Journey- Blue/Black- Wavy- Marigold, Jasmine, Junipers
8:: Wisdom- Yellow- Square Juniper, Rock Roses ,

3:: Health: - Green: Rectangle- Grasses, Bamboo, Tall trees,

4:: Wealth: - Purple & Green-: Rectangle – Bamboo, tall trees, Windflower

9:: Fame: - Red- Triangle- Red Tulips. Pines,
2:: Relationships- Pink- square- Marigold, Jasmine, Clover
7:: Creativity: White- Round- Jasmine, Pine, Globe Thistle
6:: Helpful Friends White- Round- Gardenia, Maple, Apple tree
5:: Unity Beige/Yellow- Square- Keep clear-Unity area

4
Water pond
Green Plants
Wealth
Wooden Bench
9
Red Flowers
Garden Lights
Fame
Fire
2
Pink flowers
Sculpture couple
Relationships
Earth
3
Dark Green foliage
Health
Water feature
Wood
Lawn
5
Unity
Earth

7
White and gold flowers
Creativity
Children play area
Metal
8
Rocks-Rockery
Wisdom
Garden Furniture
Earth

1
Blue Flowers
Journey
Entrance to Garden
water

6
Silver or gold flowers
Helpful Friends
Metal sculpture
Metal

Geopathic Stress: Garden space should also be checked for negative earth energy harmful for our health and well-being. Feng Shui can help detect it. Once detected, physical work may be necessary to divert polluted ley lines or placement of special cure like copper rods in the ground. Alternatively, one can also place metal plant pots on such spots to can give protection from negative earth energies in the garden.
Specific tips:
• Lush vegetation, curving paths with boulders on either side and carefully placed rockeries can prevent energies relating to health and finances from slipping away.
• Placing your garden chairs under the shade of a parasol will nourish your emotional and spiritual levels with the combination of sunlight and shade.
• Place an arbour in the relationship zone of your garden with pink fragrant flowers growing around it to lift your romantic energy and strengthen your partnership.
• The sight and sound of flowing water is therapeutic for your health. A flowing stream or a water fountain in the wealth zone of the garden enhances prosperity. A fish pond or a bird bath is also very auspicious.
• Foliage planted near brick walls and fences creates a balance between yin and yang and adds harmony to the landscape. Avoid pointed fences to eliminate harmful cutting ‘Chi’.
• Create and ambience of healing and meditation by planting aromatic shrubs and vegetables.
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