Power of Plants

Source: Singapore Fengshui Store & Blessing Gift Shop   Published: 7/17/2014 8:41:47 AM   Clicked: 4675

Plants are a great addition to your home, whether indoors or outdoors, they are used as an essential tool in Feng Shui as energy filters that push away the negative energy, attract positive energy, and to circulate the energy in the space.

Here is some general information on how to use plants in the home:
Avoid dry flowers. Silk is better than dried, but real is best.
Most tropical plants brought indoors will help remove toxins from your air.
Pointed leaves are more Yang and move Chi quickly. Use in a stagnant corner, but avoid spiky plants in small rooms. Prickly plants and those with star-shaped leaves encourage fire energy; therefore will be best in the Fame sector, or far middle section of the home.
Round, floppy leaves are more Yin and tend to calm.
Bushy plants slow down the Chi as it mingles amongst the leaves and are good for long corridors.
Tall plants represent tree energy and need to go in the middle left, or Family sector of the home. Since tree uproots earth, avoid large, tall, woody plants in the middle of rooms.
Fragrant flowers are stronger activators of Chi.
Plants in multiples of three can counteract disharmony in relationships, except in the bedroom.
Use draping plants to soften sharp edges and corners, but if depression is an issue use non-plant cures like refracting crystals, mobiles, etc. If depression is not an issue, these trailing plants represent Water and will enhance an entry, especially if the entrance is in the middle of the building.
According to Compass School, plants are best in the East and Southeast.
The kitchen's a fine place for plants, especially tall tree-like plants which will support   the Fire of cooking. A plant between the sink or refrigerator and the stove keeps Water from putting out the Fire.
In the bathroom, use one tall woody plant to help drain the excess Water element, but don’t overdo plants here.
Few, if any plants, should go in the bedroom. Yin, floppy plants are okay, but cut flowers are best.

Lucky Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the most popular Feng Shui cures and is considered the plant of good luck.  It is a very tolerant plant that is easy to care for, but it still needs to be taken care of in order to get its full benefit.
Bamboo is considered lucky in Feng Shui because it is thought to bring a peaceful and wise energy to the home, it teaches the wisdom of how to be flexible and hollow (open) on the inside, so that the spirit can flow and heal your being.
A little indoor bamboo plant is considered lucky in Feng Shui when it combines and represents all five Elements:
•Wood- the Bamboo itself
•Earth- the Rocks the Bamboo grows in
•Water- the Water the Bamboo grows with
•Fire- most pots usually have a red ribbon tied to them
•Metal- the glass pots belong to the feng shui Metal element. If the Feng Shui Lucky Bamboo is planted in a pot other than glass, such as clay or ceramics, it will usually have either a metal coin, or a metal figurine with it

The number of bamboo stalks is also important and represents different aspects:
• 3 for Happiness
• 5 for  Health
• 2 for Love and Marriage
• 8 for Wealth and Abundance
• 9 for Good Fortune

Pollutant Fighters
Plants are also great indoor air purifiers.  Here is a list of the top ten air-purifying plants, as defined by NASA research in the early 1980s.
Bring them to your home and let them do what they do best - clear the air and fill it with oxygen!

1. Areca Palm
Scientific Name:
Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens
Removes:
 * All tested indoor air toxins.
Benefits:
 * Very popular and easy to care for plant.
 * Leaves have a gracious flow that will soften the energy of any home or office space.

2. Lady Palm
Scientific Name:
Rhapis Excelsa
Removes:
 * Most indoor pollutants.
Benefits:
 * One of the best plants to improve the indoor air quality.
 * Very popular and easy to care for.

3. Bamboo Palm
Scientific Name:
Chamaedorea Seifrizii
Removes:
 * Benzene.
 * Trichloroethylene.
 * Formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Adds a peaceful, tropical feeling to any environment.
 * Most resistant to insect infestation.

4. Rubber Plant
Scientific Name:
Ficus Robusta
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Will survive in dim light and tolerate cool temperatures.
 * Excellent ability to remove toxins from any indoor environment.

5. Dracaena Janet Craig
Scientific Name:
Dracaena Deremensis Janet Craig
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially trichloroethylene.
Benefits:
 * Attractive plant, easy to grow in very little light.
 * Best in Dracaenas family for removing home or office chemical toxins.

6. English Ivy
Scientific Name:
Hedera Helix
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Another hardy, very popular plant, often used in public spaces.
 * Easy to grow, very adaptable, except for high temperatures.

7. Dwarf Date Palm
Scientific Name:
Phoenix Roebelenii
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially xylene.
Benefits:
 * A slow grower that can reach a height of about 5 to 6 feet.
 * Can tolerate low levels of light.

8. Ficus Alii
Scientific Name:
Ficus Macleilandii "Alii"
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Easier to care for than the Ficus Benjamina, can loose some leaves while adjusting to a new space.
 * There are 3 types of Ficus Alii: the standard tree, the bush and the braids (several entwined trunks.)

9. Boston Fern
Scientific Name:
Nephrolepis Exaltata "Bostoniensis"
Removes:
 * Most pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Beautiful and lush, a favorite for any home or office.
 * It does require attention in order to thrive.

10. Peace Lily
Scientific Name:
Spathiphyllum sp.
Removes:
 * Alcohols and acetone.
 * Trichloroethylene.
 * Benzene and Formaldehyde.
Benefits:
 * Beautiful plant with gentle white flowers, easy to care for.
 * Strong and peaceful energy.