Garden Feng Shui

Feng Shui is a Chinese design philosophy and the literal meaning of Feng Shui is wind and water. It is a traditional Chinese belief that wind and water are the source of all life energy. This life energy is called “chi” and this brings abundance and blessings into your environment and your life.

Feng Shui says that opportunities come when the environment is right and Feng Shui is the art and science of making the environment supportive that your attitude, luck and opportunities change for the better. Feng Shui is thus applicable to our gardens too as we spend a considerable amount of time there. With little changes here and there we can ensure that “chi” flows through the garden freely and uninhibitedly thus providing positive energy in your surroundings. Feng Shui is as much a science as it is an art. There are rules and principles to Feng Shui but we will look at the basics of Feng Shui and how it applies to gardens.

Landscape design is not just about planting trees and fixtures here and there but it is to do with designing your landscape aesthetically to allow for free expression of your self. Feng Shui gardens are typically subtle, soothing and have a calming effect on the mind. Feng Shui gardens imitate nature and have all components of nature like mountains, rivers, forests incorporated into the landscape subtly.

The basic concepts of Feng Shui garden landscaping are

• Energy flow (wavy or curvy is beneficial; straight lines are negative)
• Balance of yin (dark, soft, passive) and yang (light, hard, active)
• Relationship and incorporation of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water

Energy flow:

The main goal is to raise the “ch’i” or good energy in your garden. Avoid straight lines and sharp angles for pathways, pavings, flower beds, hedges etc as this leads to “Poisoned arrows” – leading to bad energy. Instead use more of curved or wavy lines for the “ch’i” to flow more smoothly in your garden. The basic rule is to not have the ch’i flowing too quickly for example from a straight pathway or stagnating like in a right angled corner. Twists and turns and surprise vistas are the highlight of a good Feng Shui garden. Remove dirty waste collectors and junk from your garden as they are collectors of “sha ch’i” or bad energy. Repair any broken property boundaries or hedges as they are very bad Feng Shui.

Balance of Yin and Yang:

Yin and Yang is the life energy consisting of passive (Yin) and Active (Yang) elements. It is important to have a balance of Yin and Yang. Yin-Yang is based on the concept that the universe contains opposite qualities but which actually complement each other. You need to keep passive and active energy (yin/yang) in balance, so that your garden doesn’t make people restless or make them lethargic.

Incorporation of the five elements:

The Five Elements which are Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire which are make up the world must all be present and in balance in a Feng Shui garden. The elements work together to create a harmonious, welcoming space. Earth and Wood comprise of the mud and plants in the garden. Metal would be any benches or fixtures that you might want to place in the garden. Water is a very important element in a Feng Shui garden – this can be incorporated by having a water feature like a pond or a small fountain or even a bird bath in the garden. Garden lights bring about the fire in the garden – solar lights are a good option as they are cost effective and you get them in different designs these days.

It is important to have a right balance of the elements in the garden. For example having too much of one element cancels the effect of the other – too much water can cancel the effect of the fire. Also Feng Shui defines the direction in which each of the elements are to be placed. The adjacent figure gives you an idea of it.

So have fun bringing in Feng Shui to your garden and let us know if you have any doubts while doing it – we will be happy to help.