Using feng shui for your garden landscape design creates a peaceful and serene place since the chi will flow freely. Feng shui works with the beauty of nature and enhances all of the Earth's elements such as wood, water, metal, fire, and earth. The goal of a feng shui garden is to achieve balance in these elements with your overall landscape design
Create a Serene Feng Shui Garden
Design your garden using the ancient art of feng shui for a tranquil place in nature that is inviting, relaxing, and energizing. The use of the feng shui elements, the arrangement of color, and the placement of each object or plant has an important role in the balance and harmony you want to create. Curvy areas and pathways, raised flowerbeds, and various levels of rock all help the chi energy to flow through your garden. With chi flowing freely, your garden will be in tune with nature and provide you with the beneficial effects of positive chi energy.
Use a Bagua to Guide Your Design
Another important aspect of creating a feng shui garden design is to follow the nine life areas of the bagua, which is your energy map. Divide your garden space into the sections of the bagua, also called pakua, and follow the same principles you would use if it were applying the principles to an indoor space. The Florida Gardener has an excellent bagua map that you can use for your garden site plan. Another excellent resource for planning your feng shui garden using your bagua map is the online feng shui magazine, WOFS, founded by Lillian Too.
Feng shui gardens need to have the three feng shui key of mountains, greenery, and water featured. Rocks and raised flowerbeds can symbolically represent mountains, while plants, shrubbery, or trees provide the necessary greenery. A water feature can provide the water element such as a fountain, pond, or birdbath. You may prefer to create a symbolic river of stones and rocks to represent water.
Include the Five Elements in Garden Design
The five elements of feng shui are represented in your garden by various plants and objects. The following are some of the ways to bring the elements into your garden.
Choose Auspicious Colors
Colors play an important role in a feng shui garden. They should bring you pleasure when you look at them as they reflect back to you positive healing energy. Different colors have different energy levels and affect our feelings and moods. For example, cool colors such as purples and white have a soothing effect while hot colors like reds and bright yellows make your energy level rise. Both types of colors are wonderful in a feng shui garden but they should never be mixed together or in the same area. In feng shui the yin colors are healing and relaxing. These colors include:
- Blue
- Black
- Purple
- White
The yang colors represent the elements of wood and fire. They provide motivation, enthusiasm and positive energy to get the job done.
- Orange
- Yellow
Avoid Garden Clutter
Feng shui gardens must be free of clutter so the chi has an unobstructed path throughout. A garden should have order, with everything having a specific purpose and place. Each tree, plant and object is there to balance the five feng shui elements. Remove fallen tree branches, dried leaves or decaying plants right away as their presence disrupts the flow of chi and lowers the energy level of the area.
Examples of Feng Shui Garden Design
The following are links to examples of beautiful, tranquil feng shui garden designs.
- Feng shui practitioner, Carol Hyder guides you through a traditional feng shui garden in this brief video.
- Explore some Google images of feng shui gardens for more inspiration.
Add Doorways and Passageways as Final Touches to Your Garden
Applying the principles of feng shui to your garden landscape design will give you a feeling of calm and well-being as you enjoy your special outside place. Don't forget to add doorways or passageways throughout your garden design along the pathways as you move from one area to another. A moongate, a rounded passageway is a classical feng shui garden design element. Other passages can be created with various structures or simple arbors or archways created by trees or shrubberies.
