Feng Shui in Your Garden

Feng shui. So long as you haven't been living in a cave, you already know that feng shui is an ancient Chinese discipline used to design and decorate the home or work place. It translates literally to "wind and water."

And, whether you believe in it or not, a heck of a lot of people maintain that feng shui improves their daily routines through attention to the details of design and the movement of energy.

Which bring us to this week's garden column. There are three basic principles of feng shui. 1.) Own nothing broken. 2.) Get rid of clutter. 3.) Rid yourself of things you do not love. Essentially, all these general rules can apply to your garden.

For instance, if there's a plant that's not doing well - whether it's dead, dying or looking ugly - essentially, it's broken. Get rid of it. If your garden is a cluttered mess with overgrown weeds, shrubs, trees and more, get rid of them. If you don't love the way a plant or other specimen looks in your garden, you guessed it - get rid of it. Simple, huh?

Actually, feng shui is anything, but simple. It consists of thousands of principles, yet, at the same time, offers an enormous amount of flexibility. Straight lines and sharp angles in your home or garden produce bad luck, according to feng shui. Change your luck by hanging a mirror, moving an end table or, in gardening terms, planting a tree.

There are certain flowers and even weeds that are considered highly beneficial in feng shui. Red geraniums are believed to attract prosperity and are best if planted in the southeast part of your garden. White geraniums are believed to grant peace of mind and encourage pleasant dreams. Holly attracts money, jasmine symbolizes friendship and affection, hollyhock and pomegranates symbolize fertility. Roses, particularly white, yellow and red ones, are usually beneficial as long as they are not overused. Tulips, especially red ones, symbolize love; begonias mean partnerships and healthy children. Flowers of any color are regarded as being beneficial and encourage an abundance of ch'i energy.

Most people dislike dandelions in their lawns. However,dandelions are believed to protect family members from accidents and keep them healthy. They also symbolize money. For some inexplicable reason, though, my wife still makes me pull them from the lawn!

It is important to realize that the size of the garden is not important. It could just be a container or containers. Simply plant the correct flowers in the right place and look at them. The main paths in your garden should not be in straight lines, but meander for the meaning of long life. Trees planted in the east and southeast mean strength and protection. Streams are highly beneficial and symbolize wealth. (If anyone has actually built a stream in their backyard, you already know you must be pretty well off to afford one!)

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