If you want to attract good luck, wealth and happiness into your home this coming Chinese lunar year of Earth Pig 2019, here are some simple feng shui cures you can do for your home without breaking the bank for charms or home renovations.

1. Have a Plant
Not only are they lovely additions to your home, but plants also purify air, attract positive energy and create home balance. Plants can be especially helpful to fill empty spaces that only accumulates dust and stagnant energy like the space above cabinets.
If possible, choose plants with rounded leaves and avoid thorny plants like cacti.

2. Identify the money corners


Image via Morris Feng Shui

The Chinese Bagua identifies the southeast corner or the far left corner of your home as the Wealth Corner. The north corner or Career Corner is also considered as a money corner because a good career means a steady flow of income.
To attract wealth, money corners must be kept clean and decorated with charms such as the wealth vase, laughing Buddha, gold coins, and other symbols of wealth.

3. Keep an aquarium in the living room

A well-maintained aquarium with colorful fish in the living room or in the front room of the house enhances money luck. The running water and colorful fish activate the auspicious “chi” or life energy and dissipate the “sha chi” or attacking energy.

Never keep an aquarium in the kitchen, the bedroom nor the center of the house as it can bring sickness to your spouse and financial struggles for your breadwinner.

4. Open the windows

In feng shui, windows are a gateway to opportunities. However, a dusty and closed window hides new experiences. Experts advise to keep it clean with a vinegar solution and old newspapers and to open it as much as possible to let natural light and air enter the house – attracting and creating harmony at home.

5. Position the bed facing north

The bed is the most important furniture in your home. When placed in the right location, it can bring you good fortune and a better quality of sleep.

How to place your bed for good feng shui and better sleep?

The head of the bed must always face North and should be positioned against a wall. Also, the head of the bed must not directly face a door. Most importantly, avoid sharp wall angles and pointed furniture edges near your bed. The sharp points emit constant “sha chi” or attacking energy resulting to illness and depression.

6. Clean the house and fix what is broken

Spring cleaning may be a modern addition to feng shui advice but it is one of the most important of a good home. A messy cluttered home surely does not invite good luck or good mood. Regularly cleaning rids your home of old energy, and attracts fresh and new “chi” or positive energy into your home.

As much as possible, keep your furniture, appliances, lights, pipes and other stuff inside the house in tip-top condition. Anything not in proper working order should be repaired, removed or replaced to prevent negative “chi” from settling into your space.

Did you know?
Shi Chi or low, decaying energy is present in houses that experience death, repressed emotions, a lot of clutter and lack of order. To purify your home of bad vibes and bad energy, it is important to have a space clearing session at least once a year.

7. Decorate with lucky colors

Fire and Metal elements will be periodically deficient during the year of Earth Pig. To correct that, wear the colors associated with Fire and Metal which are red, orange and pink (for Fire); white and golden (for Metal) for luck.

The same thing can be said with decorating your home and office. To increase the chance of making more money and multiple success in 2019, decorate your home and office with different shades of red, orange and white. You can also add blue and green accents to symbolize Water and Wood elements.

8. Close the toilet lid

Water symbolizes wealth. However, the direction of water flow dictates where the wealth is going: whether towards you or away from you. A flushing toilet symbolizes flushing down wealth out of your home. Hence, you should always close the toilet lid and bathroom door after use to mitigate the outflow of wealth and good luck.

9. Declutter your entryway

If your home has more than one entrance, use the main door because it is the welcomes good “chi”. Your entryway should also be free from clutter such as packages, shoes, wet umbrellas or anything that could block the door. The clutter disrupts the flow energy, resulting instead to negative energy.
Moreover, make sure you oil your door hinges whenever needed. Squeaking door hinges are considered the crying of a door – a sign of bad luck, preventing good chi from entering your front door.

10. No pointed edges


Image via Pinterest

In feng shui, protruding pointed objects and sharp edges are considered dangerous. The sharp points, also called poison arrows, emit “sha chi” or attacking energy that can make you feel irritable and unsafe. Ideally, use only furniture and décor with rounded edges and avoid pointed objects such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, and thorny plants.

If your existing furniture has sharp edges, look for ways to soften them. For instance, you can drape fabric over a table, add a vining plant to the shelf or place a lamp in room corners. You can turn the furniture or art diagonally to minimize the corner’s effect.

Designed to bring good feng shui to its residents, Four Season Riviera is a riverfront home with clear views of the historic Pasig River with clean, moving water gracing the homeowners with tidings of good luck.

Peony Tower, the third tower of this real estate development, offers preselling condominium for sale. Peony boasts of generous living space perfect for families, retirees, professionals, business owners and foreign immigrants looking to assimilate into the thriving Filipino-Chinese community in Binondo.

For pre-selling reservations, ready for occupancy units, or lease to own plans, email us at digital.mktg@federalland.ph for more details.

A garden is a slice of paradise that refreshes and recharges us. Aside from being pleasant to look at, studies proved that plants lighten the mood, reduce stress levels, relax the mind and improve concentration. Maybe that is why we surround ourselves with flowers and plants during celebrations like weddings and birthdays.

Well, why wait for an occasion when you can live in a quaint little garden every day? Reinvent your high-rise haven and create a personal paradise with these five condo garden ideas.

Gardening
Bloom with Color
Want some cheery color in your condo? Plant flowers. Want some sweet fragrance in your condo? Plant flowers. You do not have to have a reason; flowers are simply too pretty to snub when you are starting a condo garden. Consider flowers that are easy to grow like Geraniums, Peace Lily, Sampaguita, Orchids, and African Violets. Don’t forget to place the lovely blooms at your windowsill or balcony for the much-needed sunlight.

Edible Centerpiece
Edible Centerpiece
The wonders of eating healthy are a well-known fact. But with today’s rising costs of basic commodities and excessive use of dubious pesticides, growing basic food is invaluable. You can spend less and eat healthier by growing herbs and vegetables in your condo. Start with cherry tomatoes, mushroom, ginger, mint, basil, and a variety of leaves. Bonus tip: place your herb planters front and center the dining table for a unique conversation piece.

Terrarium
Go Mini
Less is more. A terrarium is small garden usually sealed in a glass container. Terrariums are perfect for indoors as they easy to maintain with just some moisture and glances of light. Start with an open-top container like a fishbowl or a mason jar; add a layer of pebbles for drainage, activated charcoal to avoid bacteria, and potting soil for plant growth. Then add small plants and décor pieces, and you have a fancy little ecosystem in a jar.

Hanging Garden
Hanging Garden of Babylon
As with most condos, space is always up for consideration. Maximize your space by doing your garden vertically in your balcony or a sunny corner. Consider hanging your plants in a reused pallet, metal rods, coat racks, and shelves for a Hanging Garden of Babylon look. Add a chair, some lamps, décor pieces, and voila! You have a cozy, charming nook you and your Instagram friends will surely love.

tender loving care
TLC
Even without a green thumb, your condo garden can still thrive when you cultivate each plant with tender loving care. A garden helps reduce stress so pay it back by doing your best to tend to your leafy friends as best as you could. Do your homework and research about the light, water and other requirements of your plants before starting your pocket garden. And while you are at it, why not talk or sing to your plants. They might grow faster.

Gardening requires planning, creativity, effort, and patience. Do not worry about mistakes; it is inevitable that you lose a plant or two. Learn from the error, charge it to experience and move on to new plants. A garden does not grow overnight. And remember, good things – like a flourishing garden – come to those who work hard.

Want a garden in your condo but space, sunlight and time are a concern?

Try to grow small plants in a terrarium. A terrarium is a mini garden usually sealed in a glass container like fishbowl – like an aquarium but for plants. Terrariums are perfect for condo homeowners as they easy to maintain with just some moisture and glances of light. You can place it on a coffee table or a shelf, arrange for indirect light and an occasional mist of water – and they will be a healthy and delightful sight in your home.

Making a terrarium is surprisingly simple. All you need are some creativity and planning. Here is the step-by-step DIY terrarium.

Materials:
Glass container
Pebbles
Potting Soil
Activated Carbon/Charcoal
Mini Plants
Décor (optional)

Directions:
Step 1: Prepare the Container
You can use any clear glass container like an aquarium, fish bowl, jar, vase, coffee pot or hand-blown glass terrariums. Wash the container and remove any stickers, tags, screws and other things unnecessary in the garden.

Succulents and cacti prefer lots of air; they will thrive in an open container. While most tropical plants like moss and ferns favor humidity; a container with a lid might be best for them.

Step 2: Create a Drainage
Fill the bottom with pebbles to create a drainage layer to avoid soaking the soil and plants. The size and depth of the rocks depend on the size of the container.

Step 3: Add the Activated Charcoal
Cover the layer of rocks with activated charcoal (carbon) to filter the water, prevent fungi growth and keep the ecosystem healthy.

Step 4: Fill in the soil
Fill the container about halfway with the appropriate soil. Succulents need cactus soil while other plants need regular potting soil.

Step 5: Plant the plants
Take the plant from the pot and brush off the old soil carefully around the roots to fit well in the terrarium. Plant the plants from largest to smallest, and pat down the soil lightly so as not to be uprooted easily. Avoid overplanting. Give plants some breathing room for growth and landscaping.

The most important thing is to choose tiny slow-growing plants to avoid overcrowding. You will also need to consider the plants’ environmental needs like soil, water and light requirements.

Step 6: Decorate
Add little figurines, rocks, sands, moss or décor piece to the landscape. Imagination is the limit for a whimsical garden world look.

Step 7: Maintain the Garden
Water the terrarium once a week. The soil in an open terrarium should always remain barely moist, and not dry. Closed terrariums should almost never need watering. If the glass gets moist, open the lid to let some water evaporate.

Terrariums are essentially miniature greenhouses. Remember not to place the terrarium in direct sunlight or hot areas, as the glass will trap the heat and scorch the plants.

Prune dead leaves to prevent rotting. If a plant dies, remove it immediately to maintain the health of the ecosystem.

Happy planting!

In case making a terrarium yourself ignites a gardening enthusiasm previously unknown, why not avail of a condo unit with a pocket garden for sale at Peninsula Garden Midtown Homes located along President Quirino Avenue Extension and Penafrancia Streets. Peninsula Garden Midtown Homes is claimed to be the biggest garden community in Manila with more than 50% open space for outdoor adventures and quiet relaxation for the whole family.

With Federal Land, owning your first condominium residence is easy. Just contact our representatives, provide a Philippine government-issued ID (with your Tax Identification Number), fill up the required forms, pay the reservation fee and voila! The unit is booked under your name. You are now ready to start a home loan application through in-house or bank financing.

Federal Land Inc. also offers condominium units for sale in Makati; BGC (Fort), Taguig; Binondo, Manila; Entertainment City, Pasay; Greenhills, San Juan; Quezon City; Marikina; Cebu as well as in General Trias, Cavite. For lease to own plan details or pre-selling reservations, email us at digital.mktg@federalland.ph.