As the weather improves each spring and summer approaches, it's great to have an excuse to spend time outside. You can use gardening to improve your feng shui luck, with these simple eight steps:

1. Keep the front and back yard balanced.

Alternate your gardening projects in the front and back yards so that both areas are in balance. The back yard is important for a sense of permanence and stability. The front yard symbolizes the energy of the home, and it should seem vital and fresh.

Avoid placing an abundance of flowers in the front yard (with few shrubs), and edging your back yard with trees and shrubs and no flowers, or vice versa. A balance of color and greenery is ideal for feng shui.

2. Use window boxes and hanging plants if you live in an apartment, or have a very small yard.

If your house is large and nearly fills the plot of land that you're on, don't overfill your yard with plants. Instead, add to the sense of depth by using hanging plants and window boxes where you can, on all four sides of your home.

Remember that you can also hang window boxes--and other potted plants--from fences with special hardware. Ask at your garden shop. You may be very pleasantly surprised by the many options.

If you live in an apartment, extend your feng shui luck with plants outside your doors and windows. Even if your only option is silk flowers, place a few in window boxes where you will see them.

Generally, flowers improve your money and wealth luck. Be sure to include them among the plants that you display. Ferns are a symbol of wealth in many cultures, if your climate will support them.

Many hanging plants need extra water to stay fresh and healthy. One of the easiest ways to keep the soil moist is to place a few ice cubes in the hanging baskets; the ice will melt slowly and provide plants with a steady supply of water.

3. Place hanging baskets close to walls or fences.

In feng shui, we avoid placing any object above eye level if it might fall on someone. Even if it's very unlikely that it will fall, if there is any possibility of that subconscious concern, we avoid it.

So, if you use hanging baskets--and they can be a lovely addition--place them close to a wall where no one is likely to sit or stand with a basket over his or her head.

(If you or anyone in your home has had feelings of "the axe is about to fall" or other fleeting thoughts of impending doom, see if anything in your decor is above eye level and could seem a little threatening.)


4. Make certain that your backyard plants are uplifiting.

The visual lines of your backyard plants should generally emphasize upward growth. If you have a large downward-pointing plant or tree such as a weeping willow, balance that with strong upright lines. Bamboo plants are among the best to offset a weeping willow.

If your backyard slopes away from the house, consider a brick or stone wall in front of where it starts to slope, to keep too much "chi" (energy) from rolling right out of your life. Fast-growing trees and shrubs in the lower parts of the yard can also remedy this problem.

5. Remember to balance the five elements when you plan your landscaping.

The five elements in feng shui are: Water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.

For water, consider a small lucky koi pond if your climate is suited to it. Otherwise, any birdbath, pond, or artificial stream or waterfall can be beneficial.

Wood and earth are usually in abundance in most landscapes. However, if you cover the soil with mulch and your yard has a perfect lawn, add some interesting rocks and boulders to restore a strong presence of earth.

Metal is simple to add with lawn decorations, wind chimes, and even a barbecue. Likewise, the barbecue can symbolize fire.

If you don't have a barbecue, or live in an apartment where you can't have one, there are alternatives. These include the colors red and orange, and objects that are triangle shaped.

Our ancestors celebrated many holidays with bonfires. If you don't have the space for one, consider a fire in an hibachi or barbecue, or even outdoor candles on special evenings.

6. Keep your garden fresh and just a little wild.

When flowers begin to fade or leaves turn yellow, pinch them immediately. Unless it is winter, when dead leaves can protect a living plant's roots from frost, your plants should not have anything dead or dying on them.

At the other extreme, don't over-prune your trees and shrubs. It's fine to keep your greenery tidy, and even include some topiaries. However, balance remains important in feng shui. Find an area in which to include vines, rambling plants, and anything that adds a sense of wild beauty to your garden.

7. Be sure to include a sense of fun and entertainment.

Your yard should always provide a sense of beauty and relaxation. However, it's also important to include elements that suggest fun and even recreation. Whether you add an outdoor chessboard, a swimming pool, or a badminton net, your back yard should have cues which remind people of fun.

In your front yard, add whimsical colors and plant designs. A fun topiary can bring you great luck, since it attracts favorable attention from passers-by.

To the side of the house or on your driveway, consider a hopscotch design, or a very artistic representation of a tic-tac-toe board. Anything fun and unexpected can increase your luck.

8. Follow the seasons and make small changes steadily.

Plant a few perennials and replace them seasonally, to give your garden a fresh new look.

If you use lawn and garden decorations, including outdoor flags, rotate them so that there is always something new and interesting to see when people visit you or drive past your home. Change the pillows on your lawn furniture. Place a potted plant on an outdoor table, or at your front stairs. Find small ways to change your outdoor environment to match the surrounding seasons.

By applying feng shui to what is outside our homes as well as inside, we achieve greater balance and harmony in our lives. Whether you're working with a single window box outside your apartment, or acres of landscaping around your home, you can increase your luck by enhancing this bridge between the indoor and outdoor worlds.

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