Enhancing Your Landscape With Feng Shui

The area around your home has a big effect on the energy flow that flows into your life. To maximize the positive influence of what surrounds you in the garden; it is helpful that you follow these tips.

Create a welcoming feeling at your home’s entrance – Placing flowerbeds or flower arrangements in ceramic pots around your front door gives everyone who walks in a feeling of welcome, especially if they are beautiful and well-tended. Remove the clutter of your front door by making sure all dead plants are removed and that garbage cans are not placed in the area. If animals appeal to you, place images of two lions or dogs lying down (the most traditional are the Chinese “fu” dogs) on both sides of your front door. The resting gesture of the animals reflects that you are both open to visitors and are also protected.

Do not block your entrance – Make sure that the passage in and out of your house is clear of any obstacle. Avoid having a tree or a bush within the first 10 steps as you walk out the door, since this will block your energy towards the outside world. If this is unavoidable, soften its overpowering energy by adding some lower flower beds and a statue in front of it. Do not place trees directly in lined with any entrances, especially the main one. It is also best to remove any tree near your doorway that completely blocks the light. If this is not possible, make sure that the porch light is always on when the light is low in this area.

Create beauty in your outdoor environment – If you feel that you have a beautiful house but you do not feel great about your garden, there could be something out of balance. Your garden is your view to the outside world. If you do not feel happy about your garden, you won’t feel happy about your connection with the world, society, work, and friends. Have flowers bloom and birds come to visit your garden as these will enliven your soul.

Meandering pathways are better than straight ones – Pathways and walkways towards your home or in your garden should always be like meandering streams, not straight roads. This is especially important if you have a road or driveway leading straight to your front door. If your house has a straight pathway and cannot change it, place solar lights on both sides of the path and arrange it in a staggered manner, not directly opposite to each other. You can also use flower pots instead of lights.

Place water elements carefully – Water can be a great enhancement in your garden, but if the water element is not placed correctly, or if the water flows in the wrong direction, it can also create problems like drained cash flow, conflict or even weight problems. If you want to place a pond or pool in your garden, do so under the guidance of a trained feng shui expert. Generally, until the year 2024, having a smaller water element like a fountain in the east and southwest of your garden will be beneficial in attracting money and fame.

Use rocks to support your home and family – Having large rocks in the garden can be very attractive. In feng shui, they express the earth element. Since placing a rock in your garden could be somewhat permanent, careful planning should be done, with the guidance of a feng shui expert. Rocks can be used to create the impression of a mountain. The general rule is to place the rock behind your house, at the opposite direction from the front door, to provide added support for your home and family. If you want to place large rocks in the garden areas at the sides of your house, the general rule favors the left side as you face out the front door.

Avoid “sharp arrows” – A sharp arrow is anything straight or angular that juts out or points strongly in a particular direction, like tree branches, sharp rocks, corners where two walls come together, or plants with pointed foliage. If you have any such sharp arrows pointed at your home, especially at the entrance, remove them or place bushes or flowers in front of them to soften the sharp arrow’s influence. Sharpness creates a flow of negative energy, like a dagger poking at your home. Plants such as cactus, palms, and yuccas should never be placed close to your entrance, and these are definitely not plants to have inside your house.

Flat gardens are not the best feng shui – Having a garden with only grass is just as bad as sharp arrows. The energy moves too fast over the flat field and is not harmonized. Instead, create a surface that is meandering. If your landscape is naturally flat, make sure you include raised planting beds, tall trees, and shrubbery to alter the feeling of flatness. Another alternative would be placing a statue, a fountain or large pots of flowers around the yard, or create meandering pathways to enhance the natural flow of energy.

Let clear borders define your property – It is good to show the outside world what is your property by bordering it with an attractive fence or by simply reflecting a difference in the landscape between your yard or garden and your neighbors’. If one person in a neighborhood develops a beautiful, harmonius garden, other people would follow suit. Set an example and the energy of the whole neighborhood can be lifted up.

Allow light to brighten your garden – When you have dark spots in your garden, they disrupt the harmony and can attract negative energy. Brighten these areas with colored shade-loving flowers, a white statue or bench, little white rocks, or solar lights. Sometimes just trimming the bushes or trees will let enough light in to change the feeling of any shady spots and increase the flow of positive energy throughout the entire garden.