Feng
Shui with Houseplants -
Decorating
for greater happiness
Feng Shui began
in China with a very practical purpose – finding auspicious
places (i.e., not a flood plain) for houses and villages. Over the
centuries, feng shui expanded from placing villages to placing just
about everything.
According to
feng shui, everything around us possesses vital energy. This energy
circulates through buildings and can effect our daily lives. Surround
yourself with the angular, decrepit furniture your parents owned
before their divorce and you might be setting yourself up for a
bumpy ride. Surround yourself with beautiful, comfortable things
and you create a nurturing environment that supports and uplifts
you.
If all things
possess energy, then things that photosynthesize must possess a
great deal of energy, and this is why houseplants are one of the
most common feng shui enhancements. Plants connect us with the natural
world. A dwelling without plants can create a subtle unease as we
feel estranged from the world around us.
Plants to
Use
From a feng shui perspective, the best plants are those with round
or soft leaves. Spiky plants that bite when you touch them are not
encouraged, unless you have a particularly strong love for them.
Another feng
shui can of worms is sick or dying plants. A sick plant is worse
than no plant at all. If you can’t bring yourself to toss out
a plant as soon as it begins to droop, al least keep all dead leaves
trimmed off. And know when to give up and admit that your plant
is not going to bounce back to health – don’t wait until
it’s a brown stick in a pot. For this same reason, get rid
of cut flowers as soon as they begin to fade.
Where to
Put Plants
First impressions are important. What you see when you enter your
abode sets the tone for the rest of your stay. But many of us don’t
have a front door opening into an opulent foyer. This is an excellent
place to make use of the energy a plant can bring. Try something
with pizzazz, like a flowering plant or a creative arrangement.
It doesn’t have to be large, but it should draw your eye.
Western architecture
loves angles, but in the East corners are considered offensive.
The sharp corners of tables and counters shoot out energy. If you’ve
ever walked into the corner of a coffee table, you’ll understand
why sharp corners are so threatening, in practice and symbolically.
If you’re not ready to toss out that antique table, drape a
trailing plant over the edge. The plant lends a more natural, organic
shape and hides the sharp corner from view.
The corners
of rooms are dumping grounds for stagnant energy. Energy should
flow freely through a room, but often when it reaches a corner it
pools up and decays. A tall plant in an empty corner keeps the energy
flowing smoothly. For added emphasis, point a grow light at the
plant.
If you ever
feel like your computer is staring at you, it probably is. Electrical
equipment gives off a great deal of energy and can be quite insistent.
If you find the stereo display drawing your attention when you’re
trying to entertain guests, you might want to screen it from view.
Plants are an easy way to do this without investing in new furniture.
You can also place a plant in front of the television. The plant
is easy to move when you want to watch TV, and screens it from view
when you want to chat.
When it comes
down to it, the best way to enhance your home’s feng shui with
houseplants is simply to have them.
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