Can You Feng Shui the Outdoors

With summer arriving, a lot of us turn our thoughts to the wonderful outdoors. We enjoy the flowering trees and plants, longer days and the warmth of the sunshine. I often get asked, “can we use Feng Shui energy techniques outside as well as inside?” “Are there specific colors for flowers we should plant to make are yard more peaceful, more energetic or more natural?” “What about our patio; are there things we can do to make it cooler in the hot summer yet still inviting to all who enter?”

Feng Shui is just as important outside as it is indoors. In fact, the actual translation of the words Feng Shui is wind and water so its roots stem from the great outdoors. It is just as important that we surround the outside of our homes and gardens with good energy as it is on the inside. Wind is a perfect example of positive or negative energy. You can feel it when it gently brushes your skin on a warm day as it cools the surface of your body. You might think, “how delightful” yet you cannot see it, touch it or smell it. That type of wind energy is positive. When a hurricane is fast approaching and that same wind carries the energy of the storm, you might think “danger, I need to get out of here.” Again, you cannot touch it, smell it or see it but you know it is coming only this time it is negative energy.

Through your plantings and garden décor you can achieve that same positive energy of a peaceful balmy day or the negative energy of chaos or “storm ahead.” So, just where do you begin and how do you achieve that calm setting all year around? You always begin in the front of your house no matter where you live. The front of the house should be planted with bright energetic flowers to welcome you home at the end of the day or to welcome your visiting family, friends and guests. If you live in a town house or condominium you begin by your front door, not the entrance to your complex or building. Here are a few basic steps to help energize your home in the front yard.

• Clear obstacles out of the way in the front of your home so energy can reach your front door
• Prune back overgrown plantings for energized appearance and safety
• Replace all dead or dying plants immediately enroute to the front door
• Always place either a border plantings or a cluster of at least three bright colored plants in pots by the front door to encourage maximum energy to enter your home
• Water the flowering plants as often as needed to encourage them to bloom as much as possible – you receive maximum energy when the plants are blooming
• Replace bedding plants as soon as they have completed their seasonal blooming with new plants appropriate for our hot summers

The sides of your home should be primarily neutral plantings to prevent energy from zooming right past your home. It is in the backyard that you create your own private sanctuary where you can enjoy peaceful energy so you can relax, take a deep breath and smell the flowers. Try some of the following ideas to create that backyard garden sanctuary.

• Flowering plants in the backyard should be more pastel in color as those colors are more peaceful
• Hang one or two wind chimes in this area – one should be made of bamboo
• If you have a pool in your backyard add several large potted plants in varying sizes clustered around the pool to create a coolness in the summer and block the wind in the winter (cover the dirt in the pots with decorative stones to prevent dirt from blowing into the pool)
• If you do not have a pool, add a sizeable waterfall to this area – the sound will relax you and it will serve to cool you, at least mentally
• If room permits, add a small peaceful zone in one corner of the yard in a shaded area – place a small bench there on some garden stones so you can sit quietly and just soak in the warmth of the sun, day dream a little or meditate

Whether it’s the backyard or the front yard, lots of green plantings and blooming flowers help create that wonderful positive yet peaceful energy we all can use more of. Take advantage of nature’s positive energy that is so bountiful and let it bring joy into your life.

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