Plants as Symbols

Becoming familiar with plants as symbols will forever change the way you put your garden together. Including them in your Feng Shui design will give totally new meanings and uniqueness to the various areas of your garden.

Your home design incorporate specialized areas for sleeping, eating, visiting, working, playing, cleaning, and so forth. Your garden should also have specific variations that meet your needs. Placing appropriate, inspirational messages, for example garden plaques around your garden, can help set the tone.

Here is a list of plants and their meanings, both from ancient lore, shaman ways, and more recent identifications that may add a deeper connection between you and your special garden areas.

Acacia veils love, reveals beauty
Ajuga imparts the power to succeed
Aloe soothes and heals, especially burns and burning desires
Amaryllis pride
Anemone sincerity
Apple tree may stimulate you to make your own way
Ash develops strength through flexibility
Aster daintiness, love
Azalea reminds us to be patient
Bachelor button blessings
Bamboo longevity
Basil sincere good wishes
Bells of of Ireland Good luck!
Birch flexibility to withstand pressures
Bluebell humility
Bougainvillea triumph over adversity
Buttercup clarity
Cactus endurance
Candytuft indifference
Carnation joy, yes!
Carnation my heart aches for you
Cedar Tree cleansing and preserving
Chive absorbs negativity
Chrysanthemum hope, love (red), truth (white), slighted love (yellow), honor the past
Clematis clarity
Clover fate is in your hands
Columbine pursue your dreams without foolishness
Coreopsis cheerfulness
Crocus happiness, the newness of love stirs us
Cyclamen goodbye
Daffodil respect, pay attention to those around you
Dahlia challenge yourself
Daisy innocence
Dandelion faithfulness, synchronize your life with nature's rhythms
Echinacea heal your scars
Eucalyptus clarifies emotional and physical receptiveness
Fern magic, grace
Flax domestication, tameness
Forget-me-not focus
Foxglove helps maintain balance
Freesia trust
Fuchsia grants courage to communicate your needs
Gardenia secret love, gives courage to speak your truth
Garlic courage, strength
Geranium nonsense, rashness, persistence grants triumph
Gladiola sincerely, lifts and restores balance and wellness
Heather admiration, solitude, protection, success, seek out self discovery
Hibiscus it's the journey, not the goal that's important
Holly happiness around the home, think before taking action
Honeysuckle be here now and follow your guidance for change
Hyacinth rashness
Hydrangea coldheartedness
Iris hope, promise, faith
Ivy affection, fideity, avoid spreading yourself so thin
Larkspur fickleness
Lilac beauty
Lily devotion
Lily of the Valley sweetness, humility
Magnolia nobility
Maidenhair Fern secret love
Marigold jealousy
Mistletoe kiss me, affection, Druid magic
Moss charity, maternal love
Myrtle love, Hebrew marriage
Narcissus egotism
Nasturtium victory
Oleander caution
Orange Blossom eternal love and innocence
Orchid beauty, Chinese--many children
Peony compassion, happy marriage
Petunia resentment, anger
Pine hope
Poppy imagination
Primrose I can't live without you
Rose gratitude
Snapdragon strength
Spider Flower elope with me
Stock affection, promptness
Sunflower pride
Sweetpea gratitude
Tulip fame
Violet virtue, modesty
Wisteria welcome
Zinnia lasting affection

Feng Shui for Abundance

Your garden or outdoor space can easily be enhanced for attracting wealth and prosperity (money, home, car, travel . . .) or abundance in life (fun, friends, love . . ).  You will want to focus on the back left corner, known in feng shui as the Southeast corner.  Be sure this area is neatly maintained without clutter.

Colors that enhance this area are purples, reds, and greens, which are easily planted with flowering annuals, perennials and bushes.

Ideas for enhancing the flow of abundance:

• Waterfalls or fountains with moving water enhance the flow, and therefore the continued replenishment of desires
• A pond with fish, such as the golden koi, will draw abundance as the fish swim toward your gift of food.
• A windmill, weather vane or any whirling or spinning decoration keeps the energy flowing.
• Jade plants or other slow growing plants, especially with round leaves, represent slow growing prosperity.  Groups of 3, 6 or 8 work best.
• Windchimes attract wisdom and good chi for making good financial decisions.
• Keep your valuables such as jewelry, a safe, or a bank in the far left corner of your bedroom if possible.  If not, then make sure the decor in that corner looks wealthy to you.

Setting your intention for weath to flow to you as you make and implement your arrangements for this corner of your garden, home, or outdooor space will begin the flow.  Letting go of those thoughts once you've made them, allows them to be and become. 

Now, enjoy the results as many small or occasionally large shows of prosperity and abundance come your way.☺

Feng Shui Garden Design Basics

The Magic of Feng Shui in a Garden or Outdoor Space

You can easily create that magical garden (deep sigh) by applying a few of the Feng Shui techniques as your guideline.* Your garden, patio or other outdoor area will then hold the space for you to feel balance and harmony in the present moment with simple additions like a windchime or water fountain.

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") literally translates to "Wind and Water" as they relate to the nature and the flow of positive energy or "Ch'i" for obtaining balance and harmony. Feng Shui was developed thousands of years ago in China as a set of guiding principles to achieve this balance.

Basic Principles

A garden, home, office or any living space may be transformed to a source of peace and harmony by adhering to a few basic principles involving space, color, flow, seating, and earth elements. The simplest guideline is referred to as the Baguas, a square or octagonal chart which can be overlayed on your garden, home, a room or other living space. Add color with flowering plants, flow with water and wandering pathways, and other elements as listed below.

Must you include all elements in your home or garden? By simply by adding an element here or there you will be able to notice changes in the welcoming aspects of your outdoor area.

Click here for an easy Feng Shui design layout guide.

Enjoy!

*There are many, many sources of information available for Feng Shui Garden or Living Spaces. Much can be found for free by searching "Feng Shui Garden" or "Feng Shui in the Home" (for example). This writing is offered only as a basic outline for Western Feng Shui.