Feng Shui Garden Sanctuary

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shwayé) is the practice of bringing our lives into harmonious relationship with our surroundings. A great way to get started is to create living spaces that reflect back to you the qualities you would like to have in your life. These spaces act as physical, living affirmations of who you want to be and how you want to live.

The garden is a wonderful place to do this, because it represents a deep, instinctive connection to the Earth and all of Nature. No matter how technological our lives have become, a part of us still yearns to be connected to the Source.

Those of you without a green thumb, don’t panic! There are many kinds of gardens. There are Zen gardens of stone and bamboo, water gardens (an aquarium counts), patios with pots of plants, window boxes, vegetable gardens, flower gardens... the list goes on and on. The point is that there’s a garden for everyone, the possibilities confined only by the limits of your imagination.

Whatever kind of garden you choose, here are some basic Feng Shui principles to get you started on the right track this year:

Number one, the Prime Directive: Live with what you love. Make a list of all the things you’d like to have in your garden—not just the things you know you can afford—everything! Now go back and look over the list and see what qualities these things represent. How do they speak to you? How will these things elevate your existence? Perhaps, in real life, you can’t have the fabulous, eight-foot tall, hand carved statue of Kuan Yin you saw the other day, but there’s surely a way to incorporate the energy of the statue. Maybe it’s the large scale, or the smoothness of the stone coupled with the Goddess energy. Now, how can you bring that into your own garden? Do you live in an apartment and long for the ocean? Try gathering some sea stones, sand and shells, and arrange them around a fountain. If you have a sunny window nearby, you can buy a beach rose (rosa rugosa) and put it in a beautiful pot to round out the scene.

In Feng Shui, we use the five elements to represent the different aspects of life. Wherever all five occur simultaneously, there is a sense of completion, unity and power. Try incorporating all the elements into your garden:

Element: Water Represents:
Reflection, Introspection, Flow, Soul Purpose
Use: Water itself, glass, crystal, mirrors, dark colors, asymmetrical shapes, northerly direction, the tortoise.

Element: Wood Represents:
Creativity, Strength, Growth, Health & Family
Use: All plants and flowers (including dried and silk), greens and blues, items made of wood, columnar shapes, easterly direction, the dragon.

Element: Fire Represents:
Inspiration, Joy, Emotion, Fame & Reputation, Abundance
Use: A fireplace, reds and red tones, lighting, candles, images of animas, things made of animals (bones, feathers, etc.), triangle, pyramid, cone, southerly direction, the phoenix.

Element: Earth Represents:
Center, Solidity, Receptivity, Nurturing Use: Soil, brick, ceramics, tile, stucco, yellows and earthtones, square and rectangular shapes, the center,

Element: Metal Represents:
Communication, Heaven, Helpful People & Travel
Use: All metals, rock and stone, natural crystals, white and pastels, arches, circles, ovals, westerly direction, the tiger.

As you can see, you have lots of choices and room for creativity. Again, choose what you find pleasing.

In Feng Shui, we understand that energy flows most harmoniously around smooth and curving shapes. Wherever possible, avoid sharp corners on walls, flower beds, etc. Don’t worry if you’ve just finished building neatly squared-off beds or walls. You can cut the points off of the corners, or place round pots of flowers where the points meet your most frequent path of movement. Soft, flowing greenery can be planted to mitigate pointiness as well.

When do you have the most time to enjoy your garden? Is it early morning or in the evening after work? If you have the most time after dark, why not install some low voltage lighting and make a magical night garden where you can relax with candles and night-scented flowers? Do you enjoy traditional gardening: weeding, pruning, deadheading flowers? If you do, go for it. If not, be sure to use plants that are low maintenance and choose perennials over annuals. Perhaps you should consider ground covers instead of a big lawn. The one big "NOé in the garden is guilt. So create something that’s compatible with your personality. Your garden can and should be a sanctuary, a place to revitalize your body, your mind and your spirit.

One of the basic tenets of Feng Shui is that everything is constantly changing. If you have a garden that you see from inside your home, think about planning it for winter as well as summer beauty. Many plants are just as lovely without leaves as with them. Statuary and sculpture change their look as the backdrop of the garden changes, and evergreens remind us that life still exists, even in deepest February. Another thing to remember is that you are constantly changing as well. What thrilled you in your garden last year may not work at all for you this spring. Go ahead, move things around, trade plants with your friends, shake it up! You’re growing, you’re moving forward. And every year you have a fresh opportunity to see your beauty, your strength and your magnificence reflected back to you in your garden.