No Trees, Please: Brooklyn Residents Say Plantings Will Harm Their Homes’ Feng Shui
I was interviewed by Jennifer Doherty of The New York Sun regarding a situation with residents of Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood. Their concern relates to trees being planted in front of their homes and how that goes against the principles of Feng Shui. On one hand, it’s great to plant trees and, in particular, trees, bushes, shrubs, and flowers that are native to the land. Encouraging green cities and urban neighbourhoods has proven benefits which include the reduction of energy use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, enhanced stormwater management and water quality, improved quality of life, and improved social equity.
On the other hand, when designing any landscape, the principles of Feng Shui tend to be very particular about what is considered good vs. not. In this situation, when the practical world of planting trees overlaps with Feng Shui, it’s important to listen, communicate, collaborate, and then plant trees with community input, especially if you know the community follows the principles of Feng Shui.
