Vastu and Garden  

In today’s stressful society we are looking at the ways to improve the quality of our lives. Stepping into the garden is a wonderful way to relax and restore inner peace. A house with well planned flowering plants not only enhances the aesthetic beauty of the place, but contributes considerably to our environment. Vaastu Shastra is an environmental science written about some 7,000 - 10,000 years ago in India by men of great wisdom known as Rishis. They observed the workings of Nature and recorded how different rays of the sun, the magnetic poles, the makeup of the land, soil, slope, structures and more affected all living things. It is the oldest recorded architectural treatise known to man and it is from this science that some of the world’s most enduring structures have been created.

A well-tended and designed garden using the principles of Vaastu Shastra, will benefit you and the members of your family for years to come. By reconnecting with the intrinsic balance within nature using basic Vaastu principles, you will experience better health, improved relationships, and enjoy an enhanced sense of well-being. Vaastu principles apply not only to the concrete structure of the house and to intimate items, but also to the environment outside and the plants and gardens surrounding your home. There is a deep bonding between man and nature. Nature in the form of trees and plants, and water bodies like fountains, ponds and waterfalls can be incorporated in our environment to remain connected to the natural world.

A pleasing garden adds to the vital prana and positive vibration in your environment. A subtle blend of design, shape, colour, appropriate plants, water bodies can enhance the positive vibrations in and around a house. Office, homesteads, multistoried building, housing complex, hospital, library school and college building and its surrounding places should be decorated with garden to make the place attractive with enchanting beauties and at the same time it keeps the environment well. The garden should be made at the north-east side of the house. The garden should be full of flower trees and decorated with different plants.

Flower pots should not be kept on the wall of the building in the north, east or north-east as it would result in blockage of light and air from these directions. Water source or tap in the garden should be in the north-east direction. Levels of the south and west portions of the garden should be higher than the other portions. The Center of the garden should neither be raised nor should have depression. Tulsi and other medicinal small trees should be planted at the north-east side. The trees which have big leafs will have to be planted at the south-west side and the fruit tree will have to be planted at the middle of these two.  

It is not good to plant a big tree in front of the main entrance of the house as it creates obstruction in front of the door. The trees which produce white gum like rubber tree, chhatim, manasa, cactus, bonsai etc. are inauspicious. Again the trees with thorns like cactus should also be avoided But the rose is exception. Plants of decorative flower tree can be placed on the boundary wall. The houses by the side of big road should be planted with Neem and Ashok trees. Neem protects from pollution and insects and the Ashok tree protects from sound pollution.  Each home has a boundary wall. Tree will have to be planted to make the boundary wall strong according to ancient scriptures. Not only that, big size stones also be placed around the trees, as advised.

Not only can your garden be a place of enjoyment and beauty, but by creating harmony in your garden through the way of Vaastu, you can bring peace and happiness also into the lives of those you love. According to the science of Vaastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space) need to be in harmony. When a seed is planted, it requires that all five elements be balanced for it to germinate, sprout, and become a strong, healthy plant. The disproportion of any element-whether it is the quality of the earth (soil ph), the amount and quality of water, wind (air), sun (fire), or the amount of space in which it is planted has the power to inhibit its growth. In this way a wise gardener sets up a balanced environment for his plants to grow free from disease and stress.

Briefly, each area of your garden is associated with one of the five elements. The earth element is associated with the Southwest area, providing a sustaining and grounding force for the garden. In the Northeast, the nourishing water element is at home enhancing growth. The fire element in the Southeast supports healthy disease-free plants. The Northwest is related to the air element, encouraging cross-pollination for new growth in the garden. The space element is associated with the Central area of your garden, enhancing the flow of beneficial influences that nourishes the other elements. Here are five suggestions to bring the five elements into balance in your garden and make it a heaven that is not only beautiful to look at and wonderful to spend time in, but will actually have an empowering affect on the health and well-being of you and your family.

1. Build up the southwest area of your garden to produce the stabilizing force of the earth element. You can do this with a rock garden, tall trees, and even a stone statue. This area is extremely helpful in collecting and holding the positive solar and magnetic energies coming from the east and north. Since yellow is the color associated with the southwest, choose daffodils, roses, or wisteria as color accents in this area.. The southwest is also a good place for a storage.

2. Represent the water element in the northeast by adding a fountain, pool, or pond so this beneficial energy will be reflected throughout your garden. Use low plantings in the northeast that will not block the life-enhancing ultraviolet light coming from this direction. Plant herbs, white pansies, or geraniums as color highlights in this direction.

3. Add a barbeque or a fire place in the southeast area of your garden to enliven the fire element. The color red is related to this direction so plant tulips, geraniums, roses, and dahlias in the southeast to enliven this element.

4. Wind chimes, a play area with a swing set, or a compost pile will balance the air element in the northwest. Blue is the color connected to this area, so plant bluebells, forget-me-nots, and iris to enhance the influences coming from this direction.

5. Represent the space element by an open patio area in the center of your garden where you can sit and commune with nature. Finally, keep your garden neat and tidy by pulling weeds and removing dead plants. Doing so, you will support the balance of the five elements and attract the positive influences inherent in each of the five directions.

Here are a few simple vaastu suggestions for planting of various varieties of foliage for garden within the house limits:

• A Tulsi(Basil) plant,is a very positive influence within the limits of a house.
• Plants of Palm,Paraspeepal,Pakar,Sirish,Neem and Bilva,if planted in proper direction,that is the North or the West, bring favour.
• Bilva,Madhuka and Peepal are very favourable on the West of the house limit.
• Udumbara(Goolar)and Panas are favourable towards the South of the house limits.
• Kanakchampa,in the North brings virtues and wealth.
• A water pond in a Northeast, North or East direction, with Lotus,is very favourable.
• The entertaining unit for the children is recommended towards the North-West of the garden.
• No large plant should be planted exactly in the centre of a site.
• There must not be any Palash, Kanchana, Sleshmataka, Arjun and Karanj plants within the house limits.If they are already present, then balance them by planting Ashok,Nirgundi and Sudarshan plants in the appropriate directions.
• Thorny succulent plants must not be grown within the house limits. Cacti are considered very dangerous and harmful for a residential unit. They purport to bring tensions and create fractious relatioships.If you keep them,it is preferable to keep it separately,and outside the house.
• The Ber plant should not be cultivated within the house limits. It increases enemity. Plants of Bamboo, should never be grown within the house limits.

• Garden must not have any fountain in the centre. A swimming pool in the centre, towards the South, South-East or South-West and even the North-West created undue events. It leads to loss of health & wealth of the residents. A swimming pool/fountain is favourable in the Northeast, North, East or even in the West.
• Huge, heavy statues or other exhibits are favourable towards the South-West, South or the West.
• There is no harm if pet animals and birds nests are in the north-west corner. Useful Tips
• Big trees should be avoided in the space surrounding the building and inside the boundary wall. The roots of big trees can damage the base of the wall compound and the building. The roots of big trees absorb the invisible power of the sunlight quickly. The good effect of these powerful rays is not obtained by the building.
• If there are trees around the building, they should not be tall or have thick leaves and not in the east or the north direction. The auspicious sunrays are blocked by them. There is no objection to such trees in the West and the south direction. However, such big trees should not be only in the west or in the south direction but in the both direction. The heavy weight of the trees spoil the balance of the building.
• Useful trees of 3 to 5 feet height can be in the east and the north directions. There should be no tree of any kind, big, small, useful or otherwise in the north-east corner.
• No plant brought from a temple, bank of a river, stolen from any place or given by a person whom you dislike, should be planted in your plot. Saplings brought from a nursery should be planted.
• No creepers, however beautiful, with flowers should be raised on the compound wall of the building in the east or the north direction. Creepers can be planted only in the garden. There is no harm to have a money plant in the house. However, it should not be planted outside the house with the support of a tree etc.
• Only around a temple, Banyan tree in the east, Audumbar (a type of banyan tree) on the south side and Peepal in the west can be planted, observing all the rules regarding the planting of these trees. These tree should not be planted around a residence or the place of business.
• Any big or small, proper or improper, tree should not be planted in front of the main entrance of the building in any direction. Banana, Papaya, Mango, Pineapple, Lemon Nilgiri, Ashoka or Jamun trees etc. should not be in the east or the north direction of the building. Paucity of funds and children is experienced. Only in the south of the west there is no harm in having Ashoka, Almond, Pineapple, Nilgiri, Coconut, Neem, Lemon trees etc.