Do you know what Feng Shui Plants are?
How does it affect your life?
Before you read this article, I would like to briefly explain why I am writing about Feng Shui plants.
Neither am I a certified Feng Shui practitioner nor am I a horticulturist.
As a Registered Interior Designer, I am especially passionate about plants and have studied and learned the harmony of the elements of design since I was a very young girl, following in the footsteps of my Architect father.
In design, such elements serve as criteria; balance, harmony, unity, rhythm, emphasis, diversity, contrast, proportion and contrast, etc.
Balance of patterns and colours; harmony of design and texture; proportion of shape and scale).
I strongly believe that plants have a powerful effect on our living and working environment.
Plants have a touch of balance and harmony, just like lighting, finishes and furniture within a space.
Plants can contribute to our surroundings and, most importantly, to us. There is much proof of this fact.
My take is that Feng Shui has the added benefit of emphasizing the energy balance of our living spaces.
That is why, in my opinion, there is no better way to compliment the principles and elements of Feng Shui and Interior Design than to use plants. To be more precise, Feng Shui plants.
We’ll first discuss the meaning of Feng Shui, as well as its elements and Bagua Areas, so we can move on to the 7 easiest to care for Feng Shui plants.
FENG SHUI MEANING
Water and Wind are the two fundamental elements of Feng Shui.
Originally from ancient China, it is a traditional method of synchronizing personal energies within their surrounding environments using energy forces.
In Feng Shui, the goal is to position the human environment, or objects within it, in areas that have good energy.
The core of Feng Shui is reaching balance between Yang and Yin, which represent two opposite forces that are complementary, but conflicting at the same time. Yang is the passive force, while Yin is the active force.
If you are interested in learning more about Feng Shui, visit the Know Feng Shui website.
A great deal of Feng Shui is designed to provide a harmonious environment, which works by balancing physical energy. It’s about getting a good flow of energy flowing through the space.
Regardless of whether you live at home or in an office, there are optimal places for every object.
Its principles and elements are very similar to the principles and elements of design.
BAGUA AREA AND FENGSHUI ELEMENTS
In order to select the correct Feng Shui Plant, you need to know the basics of Feng Shui elements and Bagua Areas.
The placement of the Feng Shui plants is equally important in order to make a positive impact on an individual and their living space.
There are five elements in the world according to Feng Shui;
- Fire
- Earth
- Metal
- Water
- Wood
Different elements reflect different moods.
You should have all these things in the right amounts within your living space, and to balance them properly.
The right way to utilize these elements of Feng Shui is determined by the Bagua Zones.
Feng Shui presents an energy map of the living space known as a Bagua that describes what elements are needed and where they are needed.
There are specific directions and orientations associated with this map, (Bagua).
There are specific aspects of the individual’s life associated with each energy area (Bagua area).
Here is a Bagua that indicates the optimal position of the 5 elements within a person’s home and their most important aspects of life;
- The fire element: which is associated with fame and reputation, is found in the South.
- The Earth: This planet is located in the SouthWest and NorthEast. It is attributed to Love, Marriage, Spiritual Growth and Self-Cultivation.
- Metal: it is associated with the virtues of helping the poor and benefiting the children and creativity. It is located mainly in the western and northern hemispheres.
- Water: Its location is associated with the North and Career in Life.
- Wood: East and South East is connected with Health and Abundance, Money and Family.
Feng Shui plants can be auspicious in these areas, and can boost positive energy.
FENG SHUI PLANTS
Having discussed the basics of Feng Shui, we can now proceed to discuss actual plants within the individual’s home.
Living plants bring the positive energy of nature into one’s space. We all know plants can be soothing and nourishing.
Then what is a Feng Shui Plant?
Plants that are considered auspicious in different aspects of life are known as Feng Shui Plants.
Placing it in different areas of your home will boost positive energies in different aspects of your life.
Living plants strengthen the energy of the Wood element, thereby promoting vitality and growth into a living space. Plants in living areas will counteract the Metal element that is overwhelmingly present in modern homes, and will allow the elements to balance out.
Incorporating living plants into a space inspires compassion, kindness and flexibility, and who doesn’t need more of that?
There are some Feng Shui plants that are connected to a certain area in life (i.e. Jades are mostly associated with money and abundance, orchids are associated with serenity and love), and others that boost positive energy in all areas of the home.
Generally speaking, any living plant with soft shapes and round leaves is good for boosting positive energy.
Feng Shui states that fake plants, unhealthily and dying plants or plants with spines or prickly leaves, such as cacti, do not promote positive energy.
The available Feng Shui plants are quite diverse. However, given today’s hectic schedules and the fact that not everyone considers himself a green thumb, you need to focus on low maintenance Feng Shui plants that are easy to care for and adaptable to many home and office conditions.
It doesn’t do any good to have a struggling plant in the living space!
Below are the 7 easy-to-care-for Feng Shui plants!
1. SNAKE PLANT (SANSEVIERIA TRIFASCIATA)
When placed by the entry space, the Snake Plant brings protective energy to the home.
Snake Plants come in a range of sizes and varieties.
Feng Shui Plants like this require the least amount of work to keep alive.
The plant is extremely adaptable to all types of environmental conditions, particularly low light levels. It doesn’t require much water, and it’s an excellent air purifying plant to have in the home.
During the summer months, it only requires watering once every two weeks and can be scaled back to once a month during the winter. It thrives in all humidity conditions.
2. JADE PLANT, (CRASSULA OVATA)
This is the Feng Shui Plant by definition! It is also known as the Lucky Plant, the Money Plant, and the Friendship Tree.
In all areas of the home, this plant can be auspicious for friendship, money, health and fame.
Plants like this are often positioned near the entrances of offices and restaurants to promote excellent business.
As a sign of good luck and friendship, it is also a common house warming gift to give to friends and family moving into a new home.
Despite how easy it is to care for the Jade Plant, it does thrive in bright light conditions, including some early morning sun exposure.
Because it is a succulent, it can be watered only when the soil is dry, rather than on schedule. (As a general guideline, I water mine once every week to 10 days in the summer months, and once a month in the winter).
A jade tree is sometimes called a friendship tree due to the ease in which it is propagated and given as a gift to friends and family.
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