We’ve long schooled ourselves on the indoorsy art of feng shui. The ancient Chinese tradition is chockablock with advice on how to live your happiest possible life at home, whether it’s where to place a mirror or how to arrange your headboard. But as summer descends, it’s worth asking: How can you bring the most vital principles of feng shui outside to your outdoor living rooms and beyond?
“At the end of the day, you should focus on creating a space that feels good to you, as the ultimate goal of feng shui is creating that sense of harmony and well-being,” says West Hartford, Connecticut, designer Georgia Zikas. Just try not to go faux and spring for the real thing instead. “Fake plants and grass are low-vibe energy, and that includes turf,” says Ashley Cantley, author of High-Vibe Feng Shui: 11 Steps to Achieving Your Best Life (Workman Publishing Company). Cantley also highlights that a key aspect to feng shui landscaping is creating balance using the five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
Here, an expert guide to integrating the five feng shui elements in your backyard.
Wood
Interior designers have found ingenious ways to boost your primal happiness alfresco. “Gently curving pathways or landscape elements are critically important in your feng shui garden, as straight lines are rarely present in nature,” says Matthew Boland, of Scottsdale’s MMB Studio. One easy way to bring in wood elements in: a layer of mulch lining a pathway, trees galore, or even a woodland faux bois-inspired bench.
Fire
