Spring is near. If you have plans to landscape your yard this year, you might want to consider a feng shui consultation beforehand.
Where you add a landscape berm or a wall has influences on the health of residents in your house. Features like earth mounds and walls are called "virtual mountains" in feng shui. Locating them appropriately will allow good health energy to enter the house if they are positioned in areas that are right for your house.
As previously mentioned in this blog, no two houses are the same, so there is no universal rule that applies to everyone, like "Put a virtual mountain in the southeast of your yard." Virtual mountains need to be located in an area where a good health, or mountain, star is located for your house. Depending on your house's location, a virtual mountain like a neighboring building might already be in an appropriate place. If anyone in your household suffers from chronic health issues, however, learning where to put a "mountain" when you landscape may aid the situation.
Fire pits and barbecues are, naturally, of the fire element. If they happen to be located, and often used, in outdoor areas where the fire element is inappropriate, they can accelerate some unfortunate tendencies, like ill health, money troubles, and general misfortune. They can also greatly enhance wealth and remedy some potentially unfortunate areas if located correctly. If you plan to install a permanent outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill, you might want to be assured it will bring good things your way before your plans are finalized.
Water features are of great importance. A swimming pool, fountain, pond, or other water feature can be a very significant enhancer of wealth. Again, it is all in where it is located. There are specific formulas in feng shui to enhance wealth through the use of water. Incorrectly located water features have the potential to accelerate unfortunate tendencies, as with the fire element, if not suitably placed.
The water element can be used even where there is no actual, physical water. There is also "virtual water", similar to "virtual mountains". Virtual water could be a roadway near your house, or some other feature that already exists and influences your space. If plans for a pool or fountain are not in the cards, you may still be able to create a pathway or other "virtual water" scenario to enhance wealth in your landscaping plans. Physical or virtual water should be located where it enhances a good water star for your particular house.
What are these stars, including mountain stars and water stars? They do not refer to physical stars up in the sky. Rather they are names given to qi. In feng shui, everything is about qi, or energy, and how it is manifested physically.
Here are some very general thoughts about landscaping that do apply to everyone. Do keep up your yard in appearance, keeping trash and broken things out of your yard. Paint fences, mow, keep the weeds down. In particular, make sure your front door is not blocked by overgrown shrubs or other plants. Good qi (energy) can't come in if the pathway is blocked.
The more harmonious and pleasing your place is, inside and outside, the better for attracting good qi.
