Gardeners learn to observe the cues of nature to properly time their efforts. Simply by paying attention every day to what is going on in the garden you will learn how to identify changes in season by noting the smell of the soil, temperature, precipitation and plant growth rather than relying solely on the calendar.… Read More
Metal Element in the Garden: Fall and Fruit
I don’t really need a calendar to know fall is here because: The huckleberries and crabapples are ready to be picked. I can see in the branches and leaves of the deciduous trees that the qi is contracting. My evergreens have just finished their leaf/needle drop. In the morning I can smell the ocean. The… Read More
January 2015 : Fire Ox Month in the Garden
Walking in Seward Park you can smell the burgeoning fertility of the earth. The ground is wet and springy silencing your steps so you can hear the bossy blue jay in the distance. The fog makes sounds carry strangely so that it’s not clear where they are coming from or how far away they are.… Read More
Feng Shui for Gardeners 2015 : Year of the Wood Sheep
The Year of the Wood Sheep or Yi Wei, also known as the year of the Blue Wood Sheep, Green Wood Sheep or Serious Sheep*, will begin on February 4th, 2015. If you have a Horse in your chart this will probably come as a welcome relief. It should be easier to let go of… Read More
Rooster Month in the Garden
Can you feel it? The cooling and contracting metal energy of fall is here, peaking in this Rooster month. It’s a welcome relief for my garden after a long and hot summer. The nights are getting cooler, days are noticeably shorter, it’s harvest time and the leaves are already falling from the trees. The month… Read More
Mammoth Sunflowers and the Yang Wood Element (Jia)
It’s been a great year for those hot weather plants like sunflowers, just as I predicted. I planted nine mammoth sunflowers on the south side of the house near the sidewalk. They are on the dragon side. Sunflowers are a great example of the the yang wood (Jia) element and how it works. They grow… Read More
What’s Wrong With This Picture : Preparing Your House for Sale
Here’s a nice house in a great neighborhood that’s on the market right now. It has off street parking and a garage. It’s a rectangle shape which is good for feng shui. What is not in its favor is that it lacks immediate curb appeal, which may be slowing down the sales possibilities. It definitely… Read More
Feng Shui for Gardeners 2014 : Year of the Yang Wood Horse (Jia Wu)
As you are wrapping things up in the garden for 2013 it’s time to think about next year’s season and make plans for various projects. If you’ve read any of my other posts about Feng Shui for gardeners you’ll know I’m about to tell you what areas you should not disturb next year. If you… Read More
Planting the Dragon Side of Your Garden
The picture below illustrates the proper feng shui according to the Land Form School. Many people consider Land Form the most powerful feng shui method. Note that the house mimics the position of a person sitting in an armchair with an ottoman in front of it. This configuration is sometimes known as the “comfortable armchair”… Read More
Feng Shui for Gardeners 2013 : Year of the Water Snake
We’re coming up on the end of the year of the Yang Water Dragon or Ren Chen. How was it for you? I think it lived up to the predictions of sudden changes and reversals. One step forward, two steps back. A year of hard work just to stay in place, rather than moving ahead.… Read More