Steps to a great garden

FENG SHUI MATTERS – Pinky Kapoor

A well-designed garden can help improve relationships, finances and career

A garden, an extension to one’s home, symbolises peace, prosperity, affluence, stability and energy.

It is also a place where one likes to unwind after a hard day’s work.

The garden is a versatile space, which can be transformed easily to improve the feng shui and attract precious chi energy into one’s life.

It is believed that in ancient China, gardens were designed to mirror nature’s landscape and reap the benefits of feng shui.

For example, rocks representing mountains were positioned in well-cultivated gardens and ponds were dug to represent rivers and lakes.

The southeast of the garden represents wealth, luck and prosperity for the owners.

Hence, one should grow healthy fruit-bearing plants in this area as they symbolise prosperity.

One should grow a good combination of flowers, shrubs and trees that will keep the garden in bloom in all the four seasons.

Illuminate your garden with outdoor lights and lanterns to invite positive chi. Strive to achieve a balance of yin and yang colours in the garden.

The presence of soft colours in the form of foliage can be balanced with yang of stones and rocks.

By adding stones, pebbles, terracotta pots and statues, one can introduce the yang element and also strengthen the earth energy of the southwest corner.

One should also install a powerful light here, which will benefit one’s marriage and relationship.

Similarly the northeast can be energised for mental bliss by placing an image of Buddha.

The northeastern sector should preferably have shrubs and flower beds, whereas the southwest corner should have tall trees.

Water features can be added in the north of the garden where the sound of water gently trickling over the stones not only soothes the ear but also helps improve career prospects.

The other alternatives could be a swimming pool or even a birdbath.

A water feature is important for the garden as it subtly stimulates energy.

Ideally, ponds should be round or kidney-shaped and the water should be crystal clear.

A combination of eight fish in red or gold with one black fish is considered auspicious as it brings the energy of the mystical number nine.

Choose garden furniture that are rounded, with no sharp edges.

One can also try to build pathways that meander through the garden to encourage chi energy to flow gently through the space.

Many houses have straight garden paths, which end or point directly at the door sending a poison arrow towards a home and attracting harmful chi.

One can slow down the flow of chi by placing plenty of bushy plants on both sides of the path. If possible, build the path in a way so that it does not end directly at the door.

In this way one can guard the house from the powerful poison arrow.

Finally by placing a ceramic tortoise in the north of the lawn, one can provide great support to the house.

Taken from www.telegraphindia.com