Gardens are one of the best features of any house. This is where, they say, all the simple pleasures are and this is precisely why most people choose this spot for relaxation and socialization, more than any other part of the house. This good "vibe" that we get from gardens is said to be because of feng shui. Garden landscape design, especially if arranged with balance and harmony, channels the flow of positive chi which creates this "feel-good" ambiance that can radiate into our home and reflected in our life.

People are really beginning to realize the perks of having a feng shui garden. Landscape design used to be purely aesthetic - mainly arranged for the sake of looking beautiful. But with the introduction of feng shui to interior design, gardens have turned into one big lucky charm and a lot of people are really making sure that everything in their garden is according to the natural harmony of nature.


Feng Shui Kit


Aside from having an organized and beautiful garden with landscape garden water fountains, brightly-colored flowers and artfully arranged rock designs, there are a lot of other reasons why you'll love strolling and lounging in your very own feng shui garden and here are some of them:

1. A feng shui garden can be your small haven. The natural flow of chi energy will be beneficial to strip away the stress of everyday life. People spend a whole lot of money for getaways, spas or other "nature trips." Sit for a moment in your garden. Bring a book and sit - better in the northeastern part of your garden, in the knowledge bagua - for a few hours when you can.

2. If there's one thing feng shui hates, it's clutter. This is because clutter, like dead or decaying plants, fallen branches and dried leaves, disrupts the natural flow of chi. That is why you must always try to keep your garden free of these. Doing the clearing and gardening can be a good work out - even when it's just a weekly task. Plus, you'll be very happy with the result.

3. Gardening can also be a good family activity. Each can be assigned his or her own task and after all the hard work, you can bond over games or refreshments. You've kept your garden clean and flowing with good energy and you've also caught up on some well-spent family bonding.

4. Although you may need to clear a few dead leaves or plants, a feng shui garden is low-maintenance. No need to shell out a lot of cash for elaborate stuff, unlike for most gardens. Simplicity is the key to a good feng shui garden.

5. Keeping a feng shui garden provides a lot of upgrades to your life. A lot of people testify to the help this principle brought to their relationships - especially marriage - careers and business. Truly, when you move around a balanced and harmonious environment, your life follows suit.


Feng Shui in Your Garden: How to Create Harmony in Your Garden


A feng shui garden is really more than just an ordinary garden. Beyond it's beautiful feng shui garden landscape design lies a multitude of benefits that can improve the homeowners' life. Having this type of garden is truly worth everything you put into it.

If you decide to keep a garden, a good Feng Shui garden landscape design will be the best since it incorporates beauty to positive living. Don't fret about not knowing the ropes of feng shui gardening they're as easy to learn as ABC.

Appeals to the senses. Feng shui gardens don't only look good, but they also induce positive feelings through the good and appealing smell, sound and taste they provide.

Bagua is the energy map of your garden, which is important for an effective feng shui garden landscape design. Each of the directions corresponds to a certain element.

Chi is the positive life energy that flows through nature, which is believed to be responsible for the quality and well-being of a person's life.

Dragon is the area on the right side of the house (if viewed from the front) where Yang energy resides. It is responsible for motivating the occupants to go out and do something great for themselves.

Earth element is stronger in the southwest. Energy from this element is grounding and nurturing and is related to relationships and marriage.

Fire element resides in the south and is symbolized by the red color.

Gold is one color that, if planted in the center, north or northeast, can bring luck in your career and relationships.

Harmony and Balance is the ultimate goal of feng shui in order to have a continuous flow of chi.

Interior design. Feng shui found its way into interior design especially since more and more people don't want the risk of attracting bad luck.

Jin or metal element is good for inducing all sorts of creative ideas. Add a touch of metal into your garden with wind chimes or metal landscape garden water fountains.

K'an or Career is one of the bagua zones which can be enhanced by placing water elements on the northern part of the garden.

Landscape lighting layout is important since dark spots invite negative energy because of the disturbance in the flow of chi.

Mu or wood is a good mixture of yin and yang energies and is responsible for bringing wealth and prosperity into your home.

North. Enhancing this direction can bring about creative ideas especially in the arts and music as well as help in career advancements.

Order. Feng shui avoids clutter which blocks the flow of chi.

Ponds and fountains that are placed in the north are good sources of water elements in the garden.

Qi Yin or bad energy can be a result of placing neutralizing elements together.

Rocks are a symbol for the earth element and symbolizes stability and support.

Shui or water element is represented by shades of blue or black and neutralizes the fire element.

Tortoise is the area at the back of the house where trees or buildings must be in view in order to enhance stability.

Unity between man and nature is the main idea behind the principles of feng shui. If nature is in balance, so is a man's life.

Variety in harmony is encouraged to create a positive flow of energy in the garden. Mix colors, textures or sizes to get the desired effect.

Walkway paths should be meandering rather that straight to get a good flow of chi. Create a meandering effect in straight paths by placing garden lights or potted plants alternately, opposite each other.

Yin and Yang are two opposing yet complementary energies which if balanced makes man whole and centered.

Zen garden is a good feng shui garden landscape design as it also incorporates all the elements into one beautiful design.





Zen Gardens Bamboo Water Fountain

A feng shui garden landscape design is becoming one of the staples of design, mainly because it adds a certain spirituality to the usual beautiful gardens that we came to be familiar with. A feng shui garden, with its different zones or baguas, can greatly help improve one's life if done properly.

And if there's one thing feng shui hates, it's clutter. When nature's looking like a dump, so will your life be, since in feng shui, it is believed that nature and man have a direct connection. To avoid clutter, always make sure that you have all the elements in their proper zones. You see, the elements work in a continuous cycle of complimenting and overcoming each other. Water and earth makes it possible for the development of wood which turn into ash or earth when burned with fire, and metal which melts into water. Although water and earth gives life, water also douses fire, and metal can be used to chop wood.

This is an important point to remember in fixing your feng shui garden landscape design since this prevents the elements from balancing each other out which creates a bit of a glitch in the natural flow of chi - the cosmic breath that gives life to all. Thus, placing earth elements like perhaps landscape garden water fountains made of earthen materials, in the water zone neutralizes the positive effects of the water element, since earth blocks water.

Aside from this important fact, you must also remember that in feng shui, less is more. Too much color, furniture or fixtures in your garden can be a source of clutter. Stick to colors that represent the five elements well: red for fire, blue and black for water, yellow for earth, white and gold for metal and green for wood, and combine them to create the desired effect.

Also, don't think that every space in your garden must be filled up with something. A space - preferably the center - will be a good spot where all the energies can come together, creating a better energy flow.

Clutter likewise comes in the form of of weeds, debris like fallen branches and leaves, as well as dead and decaying plants. These disrupt the natural flow of chi, since they suck all the life out of your garden. Remove weeds so that nutrients will go to the plants. Clearing the garden of fallen branches and leaves keeps the pests out, while dead and decaying plants are just not a good sight to see. Once you clean up, you will be happy with how your garden looks lively and relaxing - mainly because of the constant flow of chi around it.

A well-designed landscape lighting layout is also a good way to keep clutter, in the form of shadows or dark spots, out. Put some Yang energy into your garden by keeping it well illuminated. Trim your bushes and clear out blockages to let natural or lamp light in. This will also create a very welcoming feel into your home.

Regardless of the principles of feng shui, garden landscape design should really be free of clutter. It is, after all, a bad sight to see dark, overly crowded gardens with a lot of debris and rot. The garden should be one of the places where you can sit back, relax and admire the beauty of nature and when you're surrounded by ugliness and chaos, your mind and body can't help but absorb them.