Enhance Your Environment

Your Plants Know What's Right

A client recently asked me why her Rhododendrons didn't bloom this Spring.  The answer to her question is quite simple and logical if you understand nature.  There is an Intelligence to Nature that always results in the right action.  Plants inherently adjust to changes in their environment.  In this situation, the Rhodos did not bloom for a reason.  We can debate those reasons specifically; however, given the understanding that pushing out a Spring blossom takes a tremendous amount of energy, we come to a logical conclusion.

When a plant flowers the energy required is substantial - not unlike blowing up a balloon.  My client's Rhodos adjusted to conserve that energy - of which they have a limited supply stored from the photosynthesis process of the previous season.  The natural Intelligence kicks in to sustain the vitality of the plant for the demands of the oncoming growing season.  If you are fully aware, don't you forgo strenuous activity when you are aware of oncoming obligations and responsibilities?  It's the same here.  Most of us occasionally override these natural impulses.  The result is fatigue and somtimes illness.  Your plants are conditioned to do the right thing.  They understand that sometimes you must forego 'the party' to show up to work on time and perform to your responsibilities.  The right way works - and your plants - Nature - give you clues to right actions.  People complain about stress because they fight the natural course of events.  Tune into nature and you'll minimize the stress in your life and make more of the right choices!

Vastu for Balancing Your Environment

Years ago I began my study of the discipline of Feng Shui at the encouragement of one of my clients.  Back then I hadn't even heard of Feng Shui, while today many of our clients at Treemendous request Feng Shui for their homes and their outdoor environments.  True Feng Shui requires calculations - which doesn't happen to be one of my skillsets.  I am intuitively connected with nature and resist things like calculations to help me work with and understand it.  This is one reason I have learned to also apply Vastu as an adjunct to Feng Shui when working to balance a space or enivronment. 

What is Vastu?  It is a very similar to Feng Shui and originated in what is present day India; whereas Feng Shui comes from China.  However, Vastu is more intuitive in that it follows patterns many of us understand.  The sun rises in the east and this orientation is where we look to for enlightenment - or in today's society - it's the direction you want to face when you are doing creative work such as writing.  Guess which direction I'm facing right now? 

The sun sets in the west and that is where you naturally adjust your activities toward the end of the day.  We all love to watch the setting sun in the west.   This activity grounds us.  And, if you are developing your landscape, you'll want to enhance the earthy qualities of the western portion of your property by 'weighting' or grounding it with soil, organic gardens, or articles such as clay planters.  These treatments anchor the space and those that use it.  They also serve to help retain the creative energy that flows from the east.  However you approach the balancing of your environment, it's interesting to discover that when properly applied, both Feng Shui and Vastu deliver similar results.  This only proves that these systems are both valid as much today as they were thousands of years ago.