Feng shui for your garden

Take gardening up to a new level and let the energy flow

5 mins reading

The concept of Feng Shui is an art and science that was formalized more than 3,000 years ago in China and is becoming more and more popular in western culture. It’s based on the idea that everything in your environment has a life force or energy called “chi”. Feng Shui adjustments can help you to make sure that the chi energy flow in your home is just right. According to feng shui this will bring good luck, good health, harmonious relationships, and prosperity. However, have you ever thought about using the concept of feng shui for your garden? Together with Susanna Utbult from the Nordic School of Feng Shui we’ll give you a few simple tips on how to turn your garden into a feng shui oasis.

Using feng shui in the garden is basically the same as using it indoors. One of the most important things is that you take your time to take a closer look at your garden from a distance. What do you see? The garden entrance should always be welcoming, so place a pot of flowers already at the gate. Don’t forget to check your fence and mailbox. Is the lid broken or the color flaked? This is your face to the outside world. Think about what signals you want to send out and make sure it looks well taken care of.

The first thing that greets us when entering a garden is usually a green dustbin. Garbage is not good feng shui, and it’s certainly not nice that garbage is the first thing that meets the eye every time you come home. Try to hide the dustbin by planting shrubs or other plants next to it. Perhaps it would be better to incorporate it in a neat way? There are solutions for most gardens. What does the garden path look like? If it runs straight up to the front door, chi is likely to approach the house too quickly. In feng shui you want to avoid chi traveling too fast or too slow, as both give a negative effect. The best thing is if the garden path winds its way up to your entrance. Because our lives are active and stressful, it is most likely that peace and quiet is what you seek in your garden. When creating a quiet place, it’s important to remember that “less is more”, both in terms of objects and colors. What you remove is often far more important than what you add. By limiting the color scale, removing abrupt details or things that interfere, you will create a calmer environment.

A limited color scale is much calmer than a diverse mixture that gives a messy impression. To achieve this, it’s easiest to avoid colors that complement each other. Instead, choose plants of the same color but in different shades. If it is silence you are looking for, the blue color scale is good to use since its known for being calming and cool. To get a relaxing garden it is important to use green as much as possible. Green is relaxing, soothing and available in lots of different shades. In addition, lawns, shrubs and trees of various shapes provide shadows and structures needed to give life to the garden. Although the blue and green color scale is relaxing and calm, you can still add accent colors in a refined way – otherwise the overall impression may become monotonous.

Shape lawns and garden paths with soft, rounded lines – we feel better when we’re surrounded by soft forms. Unfortunately, we build almost everything with straight lines and sharp corners. Balconies, wooden decks, stone-paved patios, garages, parking lots and swimming pools are almost always square. The square and straight should then be softened with soft and round contrasts. It is important to find a balance between yin and yang, which are opposites that interact with each other. Try to find the balance between the straight and the round, the soft and the hard. When planning a flower bed – think high against low, bright against dark and shade against the sun. This creates dynamism in the garden and it feels more exciting instead of flat and boring.

Let the garden become a place that gives you peace and quiet, where you can be yourself, relax and enjoy. Create your own green oasis – easy and harmonious to look at and relax in. Remember to take one step at a time, do not do everything at once. When a gardening project is finished, take the time to look at it and enjoy it. Then you can start thinking about what you want to do next. Additional info about the concept of Feng Shui is available at Nordic School of Feng shui.