Let me begin by saying that the title of this post is not meant to insult the razor sharp intelligence of the average Blue Planet Blog visitor – because, dear reader, you are far from average – but rather is a nod to my own amateur status in the art of feng shui.
My first encounters with garden feng shui happened when potential clients scheduled consultations with me after first meeting with a feng shui practitioner. Inevitably, they had been given suggestions about what to include in the garden and where things should be placed with little thought given to views, neighbors, circulation, scale, etc. Suffice to say, this did not make me a feng shui fan, but it did convince me I needed to understand it well enough to work with clients who are.
After much research, I discovered a plant-centric approach to feng shui that I continue to incorporate into my designs. My guiding principle is simple – rely on plants and other traditional garden features like terra cotta and wood to ensure all five elements of feng shui exist within the garden. My aha moment came from reading the books of Gill Hale (many of which are sadly out of print), which showed me that each element can be represented literally or symbolically via a plant’s shape or color. This chart demonstrates the Creative Cycle, which occurs when all five elements are both present and balanced by supporting elements (those on either side of it on the Creative Cycle).
Not surprisingly, the Destructive Cycle occurs when an element is threatened by its opposing element on the wheel, i.e. fire is threatened by water which quenches it, but fed by wood and earth which nurture it.
Here’s a rundown on each element:
Wood symbolizes growth and expansion and is represented by a columnar shape and the color green. Clearly, it’s not too challenging to ensure this element is represented in the garden, but keep in mind that the Creative Cycle is engaged when each element is not only represented, but also interacts with its supportive elements. This explains one of the reasons I loath Italian Cypress as a privacy screen as it generally sticks out of the landscape like a sore thumb with no fire or water elements to balance it.
Conversely, this classic topiary is supported by the cheerful red door and its wavy, watery shape.
Fire is represented by the color red (what else?) and jagged, triangular shapes. Fire is both energizing and agitating and is one of the most challenging colors in the garden to work with – in fact, I’ve noticed some designers avoid it almost entirely.
These next three photos are all of the same garden. In this picture, the rich red roses are balanced by the square planter (earth) that contains them and the green plants (wood) nearby.
Here the spiky red Kangaroo Paw and Phormium Guardsman are balanced by the wood planter and green plants, the yellow Gaillardia, terracotta pot and the earth-toned DG pathway.
This photo shows a less effective use of the fire element. Although the square shape of the planter is a good match for the red Phormium, the underplanting of blue fescue isn’t particularly supportive. A mix of green and bronze foliage plants would probably have worked better.
Earth is represented by arbors, fences and solid rectangular shapes as well as the colors yellow, orange and brown. Traditional garden elements like wooden sheds and planters are an easy way to incorporate wood, as are rectangular garden beds. Plants with bronze or gold foliage such as this bronze Carex are a wonderful way to bring this element into the garden.
Adding a touch of fire can enliven an earth dominated area of the garden. In this photo, the red cosmos add a harmonious energy to the earth colored Mexican Feather Grass.
Metal represents a gathering energy and is symbolized by domed shapes and the colors white and silver. Western garden design teaches that white is the color that most draws the eye in the garden – another way of describing a gathering energy at work. Because of this, I find that a little goes a long way. A domed arbor is a nice way to introduce a metal element into the garden, particularly one grounded by a rectangular earth element such as a bench.
Water is a meandering element that is easily added via a traditional water feature or by introducing the colors blue and black into the garden. But water can also be incorporated via wavy shapes like meandering paths:
Or a wave of grass-like plants, like this photo or Silver Dragon Liriope my friend and fellow designer Rebecca Sweet took of my backyard yesterday:
Even when added in a straight forward way, water still craves balance. Basalt columns (wood shape) add balance to this water feature.
Photo by Tai Williams
I'll end with a DISCLAIMER: The Creative Cycle represents only one small part of fung shei, but it’s the aspect that appeals the most to my designer sensibilities. More importantly, it’s wonderfully compatible with Western garden design principles, which essentially use a different vocabulary to reach the same harmonious result.
No matter what you use for a guidepost, in the end it’s all about good design.
