The other day, I went to Seattle for a feng shui consultation.
As I approached the house, I noticed there was a tall pine tree sitting between the house I was going to and the neighbor’s house. At first glance, it was a little difficult to know who owned the tree.
But taking a closer look , the tree was actually nearly touching the side of the neighbor’s house. I’m guessing that when the house was built, that tree must have been small. But now, it was huge and towering over 2 houses.
I love trees. They bring shade, they bring life, and they help us connecting with nature.
But sometimes, in neighborhoods they can get too big and become a hazard.
I think in the old days, they used to leave many of the trees in the surrounding environment and built houses around them. Today in new developments, they tend to start with no vegetation and plant according to their design. It’s sort of the opposite.
So, if your adding landscaping, it’s good to think about the life of the plant. How tall will it get? What kind of leaves do they have? Does it bear fruit? Does it leave a mess?
In one of the homes we lived in, we had 4 pine trees in front of the house between us the neighbor’s house. And boy did they make a mess, because pine needles drop everywhere! It was a mess for not only for us but for our neighbors too. Those needles fell right into their back patio and on their outdoor table and chairs. I didn’t know this at the time because there was a hedge hiding that area.
So, with the hedge and four tall pine trees, it seemed too crowded. We decided to take down the pine trees.
What did that do? Well, it opened up the space, brought in more light for our neighbors and minimized the mess. So overall I think it was a good idea to take them down.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to rethink the landscaping. If we lived in a house for a while, we tend to get used to things and don’t notice the change. Overgrowth, happens right before our own eyes.
Looking at landscaping with fresh eyes, is one way to see if you have too much vegetation and overgrowth. By thinning things out, you can open up a space and bring in natural light too. This allows for chi to flow smoothly and the plants will be happy because they won’t have to fight for light and nutrients. Everyone is happier!
