Tag Archives: Plants

Heaven is a Garden

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Yesterday, my advance-ordered, hot-off-the-press copy of Jan Johnsen’s new book, Heaven is a Garden, arrived on my doorstep. Written by Jan Johnsen, a landscape designer with 40 years of design and horticultural experience, the book’s theme is “Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection”.

I ordered the book deep in winter earlier this year, thinking ahead to spring and excited to be inspired by Johnsen’s writing and photos. Jan references Feng Shui principles that can be used to create beautiful outdoor spaces that enhance and enrich our lives. Her topics include:

  • The Power of Place: “Whatever your vision of a heavenly garden, it should fulfill your desire for a private space where you can enjoy Nature’s glory – where you can breathe and just be.”
  • Creating Music for the Eye: “The curve of a walk or the shape of a plant bed speaks to us silently.”
  • Calling on the Trees: “God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, ‘Ah!'” (Joseph Campbell)
  • The Magic of Water: “The serene appeal of water lies in its never-ending ability to refresh our spirits.”
  • A Rock’s Resonance: “Rocks silently resound with the energy of a place and ‘ground us’ . . . “
  • Color – Nature’s Catalyst: “Color rules a garden in more ways than one. . . . The entire natural world, including us, reacts to the language of color.”

Nature and our relationship to it is the basis of Feng Shui. Landscape forms, plants of varying shapes, water, rocks and color are some of the wonderful tools that Feng Shui “borrows” from nature.  Working with these tools gives us a wealth of creative ways to create outdoor spaces full of energy that supports and enriches our lives.

It’s early spring here in Rochester and time to be planning how you’d like to incorporate the wisdom of Feng Shui into your outdoor spaces.  Perhaps you’d like to:

  • Focus on attracting positive Chi to your front door
  • Create a garden bed that supports love, wealth, or family
  • Address challenges in your outdoor space by creating a more natural, serene feel

Now is a great time to take a look at your outdoor spaces through Feng Shui eyes and make plans to enhance the energy that surrounds you. I’d love to talk with you about helping you bring more “heaven” into your life.