Lucky Bamboo ( Dracaena Sanderiana )

I've mentioned the above indoor plant in some previous posts. 

I must confess, I'm greatly attached to it as I believe it kind of protects me.  When one of its leaves gets yellow, I panic. "Here goes my protection"  I say to myself. No kidding.

I've discovered this plant while reading and trying to learn about Feng Shui - chinese tradition of creating a balanced, harmonious environment that will attract to it good energies promoting Health, Wealth,  Luck, and Love.

The gracious (towering stalks, delicate leaves) lucky bamboo plant is my favorite Feng Shui item. It is believed  to purify the room air and introduce positive vibes into the house.

 It can be grown in soil or water. I prefer  to grow it in a bowl with water and pebbles to stabilize it.

It requires minimal care: water (distilled) once a week, moderate light, moderate room temperature. It can be propagated through stalk cuttings and through its leaves, but that takes time.

This decorative plant can be offered , in a nice container, as a gift; it can even be sold at a small profit, especially if it's a specific arrangement of stalks.

I've got some 30 individual such plants and don't wish to lose any of them. On the contrary, I wish to buy some more, but they are imported and rather expensive here.

Feng Shui and the Flow of Chi

lucky bamboo

The world is insecure, full of conflicts and negativity; so people are looking for security, warmth and harmony inside their homes.

Feng Shui - theory based on the unobstructed flow of energy (Chi) - is a way of arranging and decorating one's home to create a balanced and harmonious environment that will provide positive energies and attract Health, Wealth, Luck and Love to the house.

Personally, I tend to adopt those principles of Feng Shui that are simple to follow, available, reasonable and not costly, such as: daily opening of windows to let fresh air come in, adequate light, display of live plants and fruit in the rooms, no TV or computer in the bedroom, prevention of clutter in the house, smart use of colours and mirrors, special attention to the main door through which, according to this chinese theory, Energy (Chi) enters the house.

Change in wall structure and furniture to improve flow of Chi in the house or appartment - could be quite expensive, and the result not always satisfactory.

My favourite Feng Shui item is the gracious Lucky Bamboo plant. Among the many other plants which symbolize life and growth, this one is considered the bringer of luck and fortune into the house. It requires water once a week, preferably distilled water , as tap water makes it ill - it becomes yellow and thus emanates bad energy and has to be removed.

I like the Feng Shui idea of placing a bowl of fruit, citrus mainly, in a strategic position such as near the entrance, to attract abundance and prosperity to the house. One must , however, constantly replace the fruit with fresh ones and not let it get rotten in which case it will result in bad smell and bad energy.

Many people will object to the Feng Shui 'demand' of no computer and no TV in the bedroom, but bedrooms are not meant for work or watching TV stupidities; bedrooms are meant for sleep and love.

Choosing of colors is not a light matter , at least not for me. I usually like bright colours like white, off- white, pale yellow . Feng Shui suggests , for example, painting the kitchen in yellow or orange , and the main door in red. However, the bottom line regarding colours and lights, is - whatever stands in harmony with the rest of the house, and makes one feel good.