How to Feng Shui your garden

Time to Feng Shui your garden!

So, what exactly is Feng Shui?

In ancient China the art of Feng Shui existed to create a harmonious environment that was in tune with nature. Feng Shui literally translates as "wind and water". The Chinese sages who thought up the art of Feng Shui believed that its correct usage would promote health, happiness and a sense of well being with the world. All sounds good, right? The art of practicing Feng Shui has now spread all over the world and many people find its use brings to them spiritual well being and harmony. I'll let you decide for yourself!

There is a misconception that a Feng Shui garden should be an oriental garden but this is not necessarily the case. In our western gardens it is possible to practice Feng Shui without sacrificing our native plants and design ideas.

How do we use Feng Shui when designing a garden?

In order to understand how Feng Shui works it is important to study the ancient Chinese religion of Taoism. Taoism claims that everything in the universe revolves around a cosmic life force called Chi. Feng Shui teaches you to regulate and guide this energy force in order to create a beneficial environment. Feng Shui is not only used for gardens but can be practiced in any element of our lives; it is common for workplaces to be designed around Feng Shui.

The cosmic energy of Chi, is divided into two parts which are referred to as Yin (female side) and Yang (male side). They can be further divided and classified as listed in the table below.

The Taoist belief is that everything in the world consists of different levels of Yin and Yang. You will no doubt be familiar with the symbol for Yin and Yang, which has interlocking shapes, one white, one black. Inside each shape is a circle of the opposite colour. This represents that Yin and Yang are not opposites but complementary forces that should be balanced by each other at all times.

Feng Shui involves creating a balance of the Chi that moves through the garden and home. It is believed that this Chi (energy force) enters the garden, then flows around it before leaving again. The trick to practicing good Feng Shui is to have the Chi energy pass around the garden at the correct speed - not too fast or too slow. If it moves too fast it will create disharmony, if it is too slow it could stagnate. You will need to identify where the Chi enters your garden from and make it move steadily through the space. You can regulate the movement of Chi by using certain shapes, colours, sounds and movements.

Okay, with me so far? I know it sounds a bit technical but mostly you will do this by "gut instinct" and common sense.

The Chinese gave the four main points of the compass animal symbols. Each point or animal represents a different type of Chi, containing both positive and negative aspects. Once you have established which direction the Chi is coming from you will be able to recognise what type of Chi it is.

North - Black Tortoise

Chi is heavy, sleepy, caring and protective

South - Red Phoenix

Chi is happy, lucky, bright and full of energy

East - Green Dragon

Chi is kind, wise and encourages growth

West - White Tiger

Chi is unpredictable ad dangerous

The intermediary compass points such as southwest and northeast combine the negative and positive aspects from the four compass points.

Chi doesn't just enter the garden in one place. (Hey, life's not that easy!) It enters from many aspects - through gaps in fences and hedges, over walls and through gateways. The size of the openings will determine how and at what speed the Chi will enter. Then, depending on whether it is positive or negative Chi, the speed and movement can be regulated accordingly. A simple change to the boundary, making it taller, shorter, thicker or thinner can have an immediate affect on how the Chi moves. Once you have got the Chi in to your garden you will still need to regulate its flow around the space.

To decide how to regulate the Chi, you will need to understand how the direction that your garden faces affects certain areas of your life and how to alter them using the different zones and levels of Chi. Talking gobbledy-gook! Let me try to explain...

To establish which area of your garden effects which area of your life, you can use a Bagua; an eight sided table. each side has a category that relates to an element and a number of colours. Study the diagram of the Bagua below.

The different categories are as follows:

Career or Journey - This is the journey of life and it encompasses all of the things that happen on that journey including one's career. The colours are Black and Dark Blue and the element is Water.

Relationships - This covers all types of relationships including friends, partners and work colleagues. The colour for this area is Pink and the element is Earth.

Elder or Family - This is an area associated with family and relatives including your ancestors. The colour is Green and the element is Wood.

Wealth - This not only includes the financial side of life but also life's riches, which can mean anything of value and importance. The colours are Blue and Purple and the element is Wood.

Helpful People - Helpful people can be anyone or anything of benefit. The colours are White and Silver and the element is Metal.

Creative or Offspring - This represents Children, projects or anything that has been created during life. The colours are White and Silver and the element is Metal.

Knowledge and Fame - This represents all of the accomplishments in life. The colour is Red and the element is Fire.

Tai Chi - this is positioned at the centre of the Bagua, and is the area which allows the Chi energy to move around freely through all other areas. It is also a place where the Chi can return to and become rejuvenated before moving on.

Use the Bagua as a template and lay it over your garden plan, lining up the main entrance of the garden with the career or journey category. You can then establish where each of the categories lie in your garden and can begin to assess the balance of Chi in each of those areas.

Once you have assessed each area you will need to decide how to maintain or improve the movement of Chi through each of those areas. The Chinese use remedies known as the Eight Enhancements (They really do like the number 8!)

The Eight Enhancements are as follows:

Light - Chi flows better when there is light (natural or artificial). You can create more light by introducing pools, streams or mirrors. Creating larger gaps in boundaries in particular areas can help bring more light in (can a gate be added instead of a solid wall?).

Sound - if you have an area where the Chi could build up and stagnate you can disperse it by using sound. Windchimes, wildlife, water and rustling leaves all help to produce sound. Choose plants that will be particularly noisy - bamboo is a good one!

Colour - affects the speed of the flow of chi. Using bright, strong colours will make it faster whilst softer, more subdued colours will slow it down. You can enhance this effect by linking the area to the colour theme of that category on the Bagua.

Life - encourages Chi into corners which it may otherwise have difficulty entering. Add birdbaths or feeders to encourage wildlife into those areas or choose some plants that create movement.

Movement - deflects or disperses Chi. Add features with moving water and plants that will move in the breeze. Anything that will create movement of its own (windchimes, wildife) will work to create prevent a build up of Chi.

Stillness - it may be necessary to slow Chi down and create some stillness in a space. A focal point such as a statue or large plant will help to achieve this.

Functional device - encourages movement of Chi if it is slow or stagnating. This includes using items that provide movement (windchimes etc) or practical items such as taps, pumps and anything else that is functional.

Straight lines - are used, as you might expect, to encourage the Chi to move faster. Paths, pergolas, arches and straight stemmed plants will all help to speed it up.

As I mentioned before some of the design process relies on common sense.

You shouldn't place a bonfire in the wealth section of your garden as this would represent burning all of your money! However, positioning water that contains fish in the wealth area may prove beneficial as the Chinese believe that fish are associated with money.

Those are the main considerations for designing a garden using Feng Shui. There are a lot more associated elements that will help establish a better design and I may return at a later date to discuss more. However, the basics explained here should give you a good footing to begin the process of Feng shui-ing your garden.

More Styles and themes to consider for your Garden Design

So, we've looked at quite a few themes that you might like to take inspiration from.

But Wait...There's More...

Well, in fact, the list is probably infinite as there will always be new themes, styles and fashions that can be used to inspire design. However, let's just look at some of the more common themes related to garden design?

If you're craving for a retreat in the country that you can escape to at weekends, then why not consider creating a country garden where you currently live? Country or "cottage style" gardens have a more relaxed and informal feel to them and convey a more romantic image (possibly not a good look for rugged bachelor types but it's up to you!). To achieve a cottage style look, you will need to focus primarily on the planting, opting for softer, muted colours that are fragranced. Note: They don't all need to smell or you'll start to feel very nauseous very quickly!

The beauty with a cottage style design is that you don't have to worry too much about plant placement - nature will help you out here. Plants are usually placed randomly in a dotted arrangement and are encouraged to self-seed freely. Good plants to use are campanulas (picture above) digitalis (foxgloves -pictured below), Hollyhocks (Alcea) and rambling roses.

Sprinkling packets of wildflower or specific "cottage flower" seeds will help you achieve the look quite easily but you will restrict your control on the overall planting design. You can allow plants to "pop" up anywhere, and often it is preferable to have plants growing in between cracks in walls and paths. Take care that the garden has interest during the winter months though as most plants that suit this theme tend to be Spring/Summer flowering. Country or "Cottage Style" gardens are also harder to maintain, despite the helping hand that nature lends. If left unchecked, plants could self-seed in far too many places and take over. Don't be afraid to remove plants that are unwelcome - you could always take them to a local plant sale and make money from them!

If it's the sea you dream of (or if you already live by the sea) then maybe a coastal garden is the way forward for you. Coastal gardens have very specific needs due to their harsh environment - strong sea breezes carrying sand can have a very damaging effect on plants. Opt for plants that have adapted themselves to tolerate the salty sea air, winds and sand blasting. On the plus side of living in a coastal region, there is rarely a frost and so, given the right wind protection, you can grow tender plants. Take a walk around coastal regions and, without snooping, take note of the plants that seem to be thriving in peoples gardens. These will help you to decide which plants you could use. Some suggested plants are Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), Escallonia (Escallonia 'Apple Blossom'), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia 'Atlanta'), Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale). Visit garden centres and nurseries that are near coasts to see what they advise.

Don't just consider the plants for coastal gardens. Think to about the hard landscaping materials you could use. Crushed shells and pebbles spring to mind (please don't take anything from the beaches though as that is illegal!). Visit old boat yards and see if they have any old bits of wood, rope or chain that you could have and incorporate into your design.

The next theme that links nicely to coastal themes is water. Most people want to include water in one way or another to their garden, and as I said yesterday, it is an excellent way to encourage wildlife to your garden. Why not take it one stage further though, and create the whole garden design based on water? You could use water by having separate water features throughout the garden, or by having it link different elements of your garden together. I'll look at different water types of water features at a later time but take time to think "outside the box" when considering how to use water. Try coming up with some novel and innovative ways to incorporate it into your design.

As the climate changes, Britain is experiencing milder winters and wetter Summers. As a result of this, we are now able to grow a wider selection of plants and can quite successfully grow more sub-tropical plants in our gardens. It is possible to create and exotic, jungle feel to sheltered areas in gardens by using large-scale plants with dramatic foliage. There are now many specialist nurseries that sell sub-tropical plants. however. just by visiting your local "normal" garden centre, you'll find a huge range there too. The success of a sub-tropical garden is largely contributed to by the combination that you create with different textures and structural plant forms. Being predominantly green, you cannot rely too much on showy flower displays. I have a stunning Zantedeschia in my garden that provides flowers to my otherwise evrgreen display (see picture). Combining the large leaves (often 2metres plus in length) of Musa basjoo (Banana) with the fine delicate leaves of Dicksonia atlantica (Australian Tree Fern) and the sleek black stems of Phyllostachys nigra (Black Stemmed Bamboo) creates an instant 'jungle' atmosphere. I love the look that I get with my Gunnera (see picture), although planting it under my washing line wasn't one of my better ideas, as each leaf is over 1 metre wide! Materials such as bamboo, rocks, gravel and water contribute to the style well.

Tropical planting works well in a city environment where it can benefit from the warmth and suits a contemporary design. It also works well in a colonial styled garden that incorporates "outdoor living" as its main function.

Colonial gardens are becoming increasingly popular as we strive to create lifestyles that are more focused on enjoyment and entertainment rather than work, work,work! The colonial style adapts the Australian outback or new England way of life and adds accessories such as hammocks, hot-tubs, decking and more unusual garden furniture to the mix. Predominantly built with timber the colonial style can feel quite formal. That is where tropical planting can come in useful, by softening the look and making the garden feel more relaxed. For a more realistic colonial feel, opt for subdued colour tones of whites,greys and bleached out neutral tones if you want a New England feel. Or, to get the Australian look (I feel I'm on a make up advert now!) opt for richer hues of orange-browns with cream and dark green.

A style that was quite popular during recent years is oriental; Chinese and Japanese gardens. The key to a successful oriental garden is to remember the phrase "Less is More". All too often these gardens can fail miserably in their design as they are overdone and contain too many elements.

Scale and Balance are paramount in these gardens. Designed around the theme of nature, you are trying to recreate a landscape in miniature. They rely heavily on symbolism where rocks represent mountains, raked gravel represents the sea and small trees represent their larger counterparts. Often, stone lanterns or water spouts are positioned throughout the landscape to provide sanctuary, tranquility, and a place for meditation.

Bamboo is widely used in oriental garden both as the plant and as canes to make fences, bridges and furniture. Gravel also features heavily. Typical Japanese planting would feature mosses, ferns, bamboos, Acers, Grasses and ornamental Cherries. Again, garden centres can offer you a wide variety of plants suitable for oriental themed gardens. I'll look at oriental gardens again another time and focus on how to create a garden using Feng shui.

If space is a problem for you then you may prefer to consider a container garden. This is not as dull as you might imagine as almost anything can grow in a container so long as it is well nourished and cared for and has enough space to grow. Choose pots that will compliment your chosen garden theme. For example; terracotta pots work well for a Mediterranean garden.

Growing plants in pots is a good way of introducing plants to your garden that normally would not tolerate the soil conditions. You are totally in control of plants growing in containers as they have to rely on you for all of their needs. It's like having a (or another) child!

Speaking of children! You may want to create a garden specifically with children in mind. If this is the case then everything you design will have to be influenced by two things - safety and fun! Consider whether you actually need water. Despite it being fun, even shallow water is potentially dangerous for small children. If you are going to provide play equipment, make sure that the surrounding surfaces are suitable (concrete is not recommended!). It is advisable to position a play area so that it will be in view of adults. Hiding it at the back of the garden may seem tempting but if you cannot watch the children playing from a window of the house or a patio then it could potentially be dangerous. Get the children to join in with the design process. They might have some fun and wacky ideas that you hadn't thought of.

Although most children won't be bothered about the plants that you use, make sure you choose non-toxic plants and try to include "touchy-feely" plants.

Remember, whichever theme, or themes, you decide to use, they must fit in with the overall feel of the house and it's surroundings.