Encouraging the Flow of Chi in Your Landscape

It’s spring planting time again! Plants, flowers, and trees can be a beneficial and very eye-catching part of your home’s landscaping. Plants and trees not only make the grounds of your property look good, they can also (over time) bring shade to a specific area of the yard or the home, or even provide you with nuts and fruits. Trees also add to the value of your property. When choosing plants and trees for your exterior, implementing feng shui principles can be a good way to help you select the right species to use around your home. The tips that follow will help you apply feng shui concepts in choosing your landscaping specimens.

Five Feng Shui Elements to Keep in Mind

Five elements of feng shui can be brought into your landscaping plan, including earth, wood, water, fire, and metal. Soil, boulders, rocks, and flower pots made from clay can represent the earth element. Planting boxes and a garden bench can represent the wood element. The water element can be represented by a bird bath or a water fountain, while fire can be seen in a fire pit, lanterns, or outdoor landscape lighting. And finally, bring the element of metal into your landscape with metal planters or metal wind chimes.

Using Feng Shui and Color

In your feng shui landscape plan, color plays a major role. The colors that you choose in your landscape trees, plants, and flowers should bring renewing energy to all who come into contact with them. Different colors are used for different levels of energy and thus affect our moods and feelings. For instance, choosing a hot color in the landscape, like red, can raise your energy while cooler colors like white and purple have a tranquil effect. Colors that heal, rejuvenate, and relax in feng shui include blues, blacks, purples, and whites. These are collectively referred to as the yin colors. Yang colors represent the wood and fire elements, and can bring out positive energy and motivation. Yang colors are oranges and yellows.

Choosing Landscape Plants, Trees, and Flowers

When choosing the right plants for your yard, keep the following precepts in mind:

Choose plants with an upward flow of chi. Chi, or good energy, comes from plants that grow upward. Most plants fit this bill, but some trees, like the weeping willow, for instance, grow downward, and thus cause the flow of chi to take a downward turn.

Avoid sharp, pointy specimens, as they can cut the flow of chi. Avoid roses that have thorns, holly trees, cacti, and bougainvillea.

Maintain any vines that can climb and overtake your trees, bushes, or even your home. If not properly cut back, ivy, climbing bittersweet, and wisteria can turn from chi to sha, which is negative chi.

Choose native specimens. Never use any dying or weak plants or flowers.

These are just a few of the ways that you can bring positive chi into your life via your landscaping plan.