It's easy to know when you're out of your element. Intuition often tells you when your surroundings are out of place. With feng shui, the classic Chinese art of placement, a harmonious environment can bring balance to your life.

The goal of feng shui applied to the garden is to create an atmosphere that balances. You don't want a space that feels too frenzied or too lackluster. Curves in pathways encourage wandering and thoughtful reflection. Open gates are welcoming to guests and their energy. Populate your garden with colors that increase energy like reds, oranges and yellows, or calming colors like violet or blue. Clean up any disorder—nothing causes agitation like a messy environment.

Remember to represent the five elements when working with feng shui: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Some lend themselves to the garden with ease. Dirt, clay containers and rocks denote the earth. Trellis, benches and trees are suitable for the wood. Bring water into your garden with a pond, fountain or bird bath. Outdoor fireplaces, fire pits or lanterns represent fire. Metal sculptures, sundials or wind chimes signify metal.

In feng shui, aspects of your environment communicate areas of your life. The bagua is a position map that matches up these energy sectors. You can increase positive energy in each part of your life by using zone-specific elements:

• > Career in the north: positive effects from water and metal elements
• > Wisdom in the northeast: constructive element is earth
• > Family in the east: affirming effects from the element wood
• > Wealth in the southeast: helpful element is wood
• > Reputation in the south: positive effects from fire
• > Relationships in the southwest: helpful element is earth
• > Children and creativity in the west: constructive element is metal
• > Travel in the northwest: positive effects from metal

Perhaps you want to draw wealth into your life. Planting fruit trees in the southeast area of your garden will encourage the money tree to be fruitful as well. Situating your backyard fire pit in the south promotes fame.

All areas of life have harmonizing opposites, so your home and garden should balance spatial and design opposites. Bring light to shady areas of the yard and balance entryways with plants or trees on each side.

It may not be easy to remove the clutter and stress from inside ourselves. Designing with feng shui principles is an easy way to provide that retreat and comfort all backyard gardens can provide.

[Image: Michael Blann | Photodisc | Thinkstock ]

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