Feng Shui

Any one practice this? Never noticed anyone mention it.
Love this book. Its about this size too.(3 by 3) Tiny. But mighty. has lots of good garden things in it.

What exactly is it, Mings?

I have read a bit about it but Feng Shui seems fairly complicated to me! Could you tell me about it in easy to understand terms?

Feng shui means "wind-water". its the art of placement. the flow of energy (chi). Its very interseting. I have heard it said that even cats know about it. if a cat wont come into your garden...thats bad. there is something set up wrong in it. So. even though I hate them in mine. I accept it. This book is one of the better ones I have found. It is very simple. There is a ton of info online . Try it. You will see it will change things for you. Thousands of years of ancient Asian teachings that are still around can;t be wrong is the way I look at it. If you do;t like the changes you have made, change it back. bet ya won;t.

I don't know if I practice Feng Shui, but I did notice the other day that one of my rock gardens goes in a chromatically correct spiral - yellow rose, orange gerbera daisy, red rose, purple heliotrope and aster, blue salvia, into a center of green rose. My family has always given me a hard time about putting the crayons away chromatically, but I didn't realize that I did it with plants until Tuesday!

A local lady came to one of our garden club meetings to discuss Feng shui in the garden. It was quite interesting. I'm not sure I buy into all of it, but I do know there are places I go that feel welcoming, and others that seem hostile... whether it be homes or gardens. It's an interesting concept.

So what's the verdict? Is the book worth buying? I am always interested in furthering myself spititually and physically.

PS I've got all the neighborhood's cats in the yard at one time or another. What could that possibly mean? I know it is getting closer to Halloween, but...

The book is only a few bucks. Keep the receipt. read it. Practice it. if you want , return the book. it IS very interesting. I have redone a few rooms in teh house with using what they sugguest. I think it just feels better now. It makes alot of sence. Look it up online. Get an education before you form an opinion. Ya have to try it. Live on the edge! Try it!

mm... I use Feng Shui whenever I can, mostly in my house. People may scoff, but when I did the first 2 things recommended, my money stopped flowing rapidly out of the house! Same amount of money, same expenditures, just more stayed in my pocket. Made a 'believer' out of me!

The scoffers also put down planting by the moon... Ask any oldtimer gardener about that one!

Its hard to have an opinion on something you havent; tried. Correct?
Thanks for your posting. I know as soon as I tried some on the things. it seemed to work. Its fun.people are paying alot ALOT of big$$$ for experts in this area to come into their homes and businesses to do it.

do a search at HGTV. there is lots. You won;t even have to get the book for that!

I am ordering the book this weekend. Thanks!

:) its not hard to find at your local bookstore. honestly! Its fun. did ya look up stuff onHGTV about it or anywhere on line? it might be enough for you and its free that way.

Just added several sites to Favorites. I will print them tomorrow to read, and hopefully learn from.

well, share your wealth. what were the sites? HUMMM????

Feng Shui is quite big business over here. My brother tried a bit in his home and it worked for him, he started by collecting a few Crassula (jade or money plants). I tried moving some furniture about but didn't improve anything but it definitely works for some!

It's interesting you brought up comfort and discomfort zones in the garden WZ. I read something about the psychology of garden design and many people have the set routine of where and how they walk through the garden. We are just comfortable here as we first take a clockwise turn along the borders (checking the plants ostensibly but quite possibly instinctively also looking for danger) and then we walk all over the middle, though borders etc.

I doubt I'll try Feng Shui in Mom's garden because if I have to dig that pond once more I'll break the spade in two *G* but has anyone else noted their uncomfortable zones in the garden? Ours seems to be the left hand border.

says here on page 239
Do use fountains, waterfalls, ponds ,arbors in the "E" and 'SE"(N

OK, Golddog...what are the sites??

Thanks Mingsmimi, that would mean having to change the pond from the west side of the garden but on the east there is no room :(

I know what ya mean. I think mine must be wrong too. lol. That would explain 3 years of troubles. It is a very interesting way to look at things though.

I saw a episode of "Trading Spaces" when the Asia-American guy (with the unlikely name of Vern) did a room in Feng-Shui, and it was beautiful. I really enjoy that show and Vern and the little redhead, Laura, are my favorites of the decorators.......

Do you suppose Feng Shui is different for left handed people? I'm a lefty, and most of the world around me is a mirror image, if you know what I mean.

My gardens are almost all on the perimeters of my yard. I did this originally because we still had the need to run equipment over the yard from time to time. That is less of an issue now, so I've been thinking that I should re-think my entire yard and grounds. I need more sun, and the perimeters are surrounded by trees.

A friend who believed in feng shui once suggested we put up a mirror on the tree at the head of our driveway. She pointed out that our house was a direct focal point from the road all the way to the corner, and all the negative energy that people emmitted on their way home from work was headed directly for us. I'm not necessarily a believer, but I was concerned about bouncing it all back at those hapless souls, so she suggested a curved mirror that would throw it back in all directions... an interesting concept.

Is five concepts are fire, earth, metal, water,wood, And the flow of energy. the balance of yin and yang. I really don;t think it matters if you are to the left or to the right.

Thanks, Mimi.

:) Try it. have fun! Its a VERY simple book. or l@@k for info on line

About ten years ago got interested in this concept, and to test it I positioned a mirror directly in front of the front door, so that the first thing you would see as you walked in would be your reflection in the mirror.
Well! All the energy was directed to the outside of the house. I moved it, and there was a difference in ambiance. Can't explain it, just know there was a definite change.

there is alot of info in this book on mirrors. Depending on if they are concave or convex.

Vaastu is to India what Feng shui is to China.
http://vaastu.indiainfo.com/
It is interesting.

wow! never heard of that have to go to work now. will check into that tonnite. thanks for posting

Hay Guys and Gals-how about cranking up this thread again. There hasn't been any new postings for 3 years! I am definately into feng shui for the home, office, and yard. I have several books on it and it can get confusing unless you go with just the compass theory or what I call the "black hat" theory. The compass theory goes too deep for me into the north, south, east, west and minutes and degrees. The "black hat" theory goes into the bagua map and what I like to call instinct. I am recently retired and hope to be able to design my whole yard using the "black hat" feng shui theory. Anybody out there into the same ideas? And would you pass them along?

Yep, and there's another thread more recent that has some discussion. I'll see if I can find it.

I'm more the "bagua" type...

Thanks Darius. I'll be waiting for the thread location. Hope you find it. If not, maybe we can start up a new one ourselves. The freshest of ideas and information are always needed, right?

Some of the discussion starts on http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/532162/
scroll down to:
Aug 18, 2005
12:21 AM
then more continues on
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/538441/
Aug 19, 2005
12:31 PM
and
Aug 23, 2005
6:20 PM

Thanks Darius. I went over to the other threads and read both. Now I'm on my way to the 2 hyperlinks about feng shui. Happy feng shui-ing and gardening. Talk to you later.