Garden Feng Shui

The design of your garden can have an amazing affect on your family's well being and health. Here is how you can create harmony in your garden - which is also a living entity- and bring peace and happiness and good fortune to those within your home.

The Indian version of Garden Feng Shui - Vastu Shastra is an environmental science that was written about some 7,000 10,000 years ago in India by the rishis - men of great wisdom. They observed the workings of Nature and recorded how the different rays of our sun, the magnetic poles, the makeup of the soil, land, slope, structures, etc. affected all living things. It is the perhaps the oldest recorded architectural treatise known to man and it is from this science that some of the world’s most enduring structures have been created.

According to the science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (including earth, water, fire, air and space) need to be in harmony. When a seed is planted, it requires that all the five elements be balanced for a seed to germinate, sprout and become a strong and healthy plant. The disproportion of just any one element - whether it is the quality of the earth (soil ph), the amount and quality of water, wind (air), sun (fire), or even the amount of space it is planted in - will inhibit its growth. In this way a very wise gardener sets up a balanced environment for his plants to grow - free from diseases and stresses.

Each area of your garden is associated with one of the five elements.

• The earth element is associated with the southwest area of your garden and creates a sustaining and grounding force.
• In the northeast, the water element is at home. This element allows plants to flourish.
• The fire element in the southeast supports disease-free plants.
• The northwest is related to the air element encouraging cross-pollination.
• The space element is associated with the central area of your garden, enhancing the flow of beneficial influences that nourishes the other elements.
• Positive magnetic energies coming from the north and the positive solar energies coming from the east promote harmony and balance.

1. Build up the SW area of your garden to produce the stabilizing force of the grounding earth element. You can do this with a rock garden, tall trees and even a stone statue. This will all help to collect and hold the positive solar and magnetic energies coming from the E and N. Since yellow is the color associated with the SW, choose daffodils, roses or wisteria to accentuate this area of your garden. This is also a good place for a storage or a tool shed.

2. Represent the water element by using low plantings in the NE that will allow and accentuate the flow of positive solar energy. Add a fountain or reflection pool or pond in this area to reflect this beneficial energy throughout your garden. Herbs, white pansies or geraniums can also be used as accents.

3. Add a barbeque or a fire pit in the SE as your fire element. Red symbolizes this direction so plant tulips, geraniums and dahlias in this area.

4. Use wind chimes to balance the air element in the NW. Since blue is the color for this area, plant bluebells, forget-me-nots and iris to enhance the influences coming from the NW.

5. Represent the space element by an open area in the middle part of you garden. It ccould be either a patio area or grass. Finally, by keeping your garden neat and tidy you will also be maintaining balance and attracting positive influences from each of the 5 directions.

A well-designed and tended garden, using the principles of Garden Feng Shui or Vastu Shastra, will benefit you and your famil . By reconnecting with the natural balance inherent in the natural environment, you will be encouraging better personal health, improving the quality of relationships and enhance your well-being. By Robin Mastro of Vastucreations.com .