Thursday, May 26, 2016

FENG SHUI IN YOUR GARDEN


We are transitioning from a real Spring into the warmth of Summer. Everyone is eager to get their house plants finally outdoors, and to continue to labor of creating a glorious garden full of color, fragrant blooms and welcoming charm. Crocus, tulips, forsythia, Lily of the Valley and daffodils have made their presence. Now iris, azalea, peonies, lilacs, violets, geraniums, marigolds, roses usher forth. Spring means new beginnings. Summer is the burst of maturity. Our living space is enmeshed with our ability to be happy and healthy. What it reflects makes a statement about where we are at the moment in our lives.

Kan Yu, "Kindness of Earth", is Feng Shui's original name. Kindness of Earth by its name encourages us to live harmoniously with Nature. It is the primal ecological statement. Living harmonious with Nature draws into our worlds Balance, Harmony, Health and Happiness. The sun literally shines upon us. We rejoice as our plants are nurtured, the soil tended, all things made right. The quality of Environment Chi (Energy) affects us 100%. Good soil, clean air and water are essentials and enhance both our environments and our lives. The converse leads to confusion, dissipation, illness and loss. Trees, green shrubbery oxygenate and reduce toxic gases. Being in greenery raises your Personal Chi 100%, while dwelling indoors you may loose 30% to 70% of your Personal Chi.

Everyone wants Health and Happiness. The ancients prized them as qualities toward longevity. We also seek loving relationships and secured finances. We enjoy the thought of "stability". Creating a Feng Shui Garden can move you toward this goal. Build a flowering garden than will bloom year long. Plants chosen for their shape, color, texture, height, ones that attract butterflies, increases Beneficial Chi.

Gardens are outdoor rooms! As an extensions of the layout of your home as computed by the Ba Gua, gardens speak of your soul. Flowering gardens balance us and elevate our mind; these are documented facts from recent neuro-scientific studies.

Kan Yu is a tradition tied to the land. It operates on the principle that the earth's magnetic field forces and energy lines (ley) are alive, and they give color, shape, and size to the landscape. Feng Shui refers to the Earth's magnetic meridians as "Dragon Currents". ley lines. Subtle but detectable currents create energy patterns in, over and around the Earth. They are essential for the Earth's etheric structure and they serve a humanitarian purpose as well.

The aim of Kan Yu Feng Shui is to raise the cosmic currents, change and harmonize the environment, which in turn uplifts and benefits mankind and all life. 

Drawing from the Form and Compass Schools, you first need to know what the actual Earth Magnetic Directions are. This is crucial. Plants requiring full sunlight do not flourish in the North. Another example is, if you put a greenhouse in the North, which gets little to zero sun exposure, you will develop mold in your greenhouse. You can become ill from the mold and your plants will not thrive. Knowing the actual compass reading is essential. You also want to know these natural magnetic directions for the choosing suitable plants ,and you will need to analyze your soil, light and drainage.

Get a compass. Take your first reading from looking out from your front door. This is called "front facing". Wherever you have existing flower beds, or are planning to augment or create anew, you take a reading facing the area. Chart the outer property and see what's there.

Each direction correlates to the Five Elements which describe change. Scientifically it is accurate because Earth Magnetic Energies spread outward over the Earth. Depending in which hemisphere you live, qualities vary depending on the sun's proximity, planetary rotations, and other factors. Plants can stimulate the quality of the Element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) associated with each gua, area, by introducing the color, shape, and texture represented by its particular Element. East is green. West is white or cream. North is dark blue, black. South is red, pink, lavender, and all its shades.

 Added to this information are the Nine Squares, the Ba Gua. Standing in front of your property divide it into nine equal squares. See the diagram below.



Each gua relates to a Life Situation: a Correlation - is Wealth, Relationship Knowledge, etc, Color, Number, Family Member. Direction and so forth. 

Other auspicious environmental qualities include Earth Dragon which lies behind the house, or are the taller plants, grasses on rocks in the garden. which protect the shorter or smaller plants in front of them. Wood Guardians are the protectors placed on the left and right of the home entrance or to a garden. Facing the front of the house should be a Waterway. A road with slower traffic on it, may serve for an actual watercourse. The Golden Pond is the area right in front of your house. It is an opening which may gather good Beneficial Chi for you and your household. Taken together they pull inside your house the Chi which blesses you with good fortune.

Other important considerations in landscaping are 1) protecting your home with natural vegetation, topography and fences. Make certain the site is above a flood line. If it is not, use vegetation to secure the barriers. Create curved pathways instead of sharp lines or angles directed at the house. Create a threshold separating public from your private areas.. Hedges and Cyprus trees are natural dividers. Keep all vegetation healthy and well maintained. And yes, you can talk to your plants! They respond to kindness and soothing classical music. Make note of land formations, wet areas, sandy soil, shade, poor drainage, windy areas, nutrients, light quality. Sometimes the best spot for a garden is not one which you are choosing. 

Design your garden preferably a season before planting is appropriate. The soil needs time to mellow and settle. You will need to know which plants bloom in what colors, how tall will them become and what are their requirements of light, water, soil, nutrients and so forth. Garden design is intricate. Continuity is important. Your design and selections should compliment the house in structure, design and shape, as well as the environs. Regard the position the flowers and garden will be viewed from. 

Gardening the Feng Shui way can open new vistas not only in your garden but in your life! Enjoy the Beauty! Planting as Kan Yu directs us will uplift us and the Earth.

For more on Feng Shui, please visit my website: blessyourlifewithfengshui.com