Feng Shui for your Garden
Feng Shui is a wonderful starting point to think about your garden design scheme. After all, we all want our outside space to feel relaxing and simply a beautiful place to be with peace, serenity and enjoyment all year round. If you want to know how to design a garden landscape based on this age-old Chinese design philosophy, first you need to familiarise with its key principles.
Design Principles for your Feng Shui Garden
Feng Shui translates to ‘wind and water’ both of which act as the source of all life energy according to traditional Chinese beliefs. Also known simply as chi, you should always consider how to bring this life energy into every aspect of your Feng Shui garden space as you go through the design process.
You also need to attain the right balance of the five elements - Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire – in your garden to really do the job. But where does everything go and what elements should each part of your garden connect with and what can you use to make this happen? You can find out below with our Feng Shui theory map…
North-east
Personal and spiritual growth
North
Your career path and overall life path
East
Health, family and longevity
South and Southeast
Wealth, money and abundance
West and Southwest
Romance, luck and creativity, energy (especially that of children)
Even if you’re looking at garden design for small spaces, there are simple ways to turn this theory into something tangible and nourishing for all the senses. You simply need to adapt the key principles and tools to create a strong Feng Shui garden design.
Avoid straight, harsh lines and go for curved, gentle pathways to encourage a good chi flow. You can also use this idea of smooth, easy flow within the details of your Feng Shui garden.
Feng Shui Garden Ornaments
Feng Shui garden décor is another important way to utilise the theory and create positive flow and energy. Add water features to those areas where you want to encourage growth and prosperity – that’s money, health and your career path (southeast, east, north). An outdoor fountain will work beautifully. Bring light elements such as a fire pit, fairy lights or lanterns to the Fire areas, wind chimes and sculptures to the north area for the Metal element, and wooden furnishings to the eastern area to honour the Wood element. A zen garden with pleasant rock formations and flowerpots will work beautifully in the north east area to encourage the Earth element and positive energy flow towards personal growth and nurture.
Bringing your Feng Shui Garden to Life
Now that we’ve explained the basics of Feng Shui garden theory, it’s time for the fun part! Bring your garden to life with these beautiful pieces from our collections:
Many people find an animal-themed ornament very soothing for the Metal areas and Ribbet the Frog is a perfect example. Up-cycled by local village workforce in Vietnam, it is both a charming and eco-friendly ornament that provides income to those in need. Puss the Cat is also a popular option.
Colours play a major role in the Feng Shui theory to encourage the right energy. This is why we recommend using warm, rusty tones of red and brown in Fire areas. The Aspen fire pit has a lovely brass effect and sloping lines to encourage good chi. A cast iron fire bowl will also work well where attractive, painted framework adds a subtle, tactile sense of character to any outdoor space.
Wooden elements such as a dining set or swing chair will bring a powerful sense of strength to your space. We love this Oak Swing Seat made using Responsibly Sourced Oak from Managed Forests in Europe. With space for three people to relax, it is a work of rustic brilliance. Original natural features add authenticity and create a deeper connection to the natural world. Furnishings in reclaimed teak will also do the job nicely.
Creating a Soothing Space
We hope that you enjoy creating your Feng Shui garden! Browse our collections today for even more inspiration on how to create that flee flowing chi and reap all the benefits that such a tranquil, energising space will bring.
