Yin handing over to Yang - Spring

Yang handing over to Yin - Autumn

During these periods a time arises when they are both in harmony with each other. Neither Yin or Yang and that reflected in the ambiance of sunlight, shadow, movement in the season, wind flow and temperature variation. After rainfall (which is more likely in Spring and Autumn) plant life and animal movements flourish. Birds are nesting, feeding, food supply abundant and plants preparing themselves for new growth or retreating within themselves as winter approaches.

A great time to garden and be outdoors and to travel into places enjoying their Spring and Autumn weather and seasonal flushes of its plants and animals. What's good for nature is good for us.

I also notice during these times, birds and animals are more contented (maybe their bellies are full) and they have more time to relax when Chi flow is abundant and providing them with all their energy needs with some left over. Yet on other occasions animals, insects and bird life are more active. I feel their behaviour mimics the transitional process of Yin to Yang and Yang to Yin.

Gardening to the season is very wise and beneficial. Summertime is far more passive and a step away approach to gardening. Plants don't want to be stressed with abrupt changes in temperature, moisture supply and strength of sunlight, a good time to leave them in peace, animals sheltering during the heat of the day (including ourselves) and so on.

Wintertime comes around and a similar approach is adopted by those plants and animals that frequent our localised surroundings. They want to remain passive in their nature, their growth and development on hold as they sustain themselves from the onslaught of winter climate, some plants defoliating and breaking down back into the ground to protect themselves and their sensitive tissue from extremes of cold, wet, ice and snow.

Gardening in the springtime is different to the autumn. In spring, plants want to break out and flush themselves with new growth and potentially reproduce themselves through their flowers or expansion of their root systems. We see a surge of activity as temperatures rise and sunlight lengthen (Yang influences). Yang is life and fosters change.

Gardening in the autumn suggests another strategy, the prolonging of plants through their care and maintenance. If they have survived through summer they now wanting to reassert themselves and prepare for the winter months up ahead. Maybe time we step in and help through some pruning, fertilising, mulching and the like, ensuring before winter approaches the plants in the garden are ready, creating stability and a sense of settlement. We can walk away and be sure the garden is at peace within itself as Yin arrives and takes over, Yang handing the garden over to Yin and Yang wanting to retreat into itself until Spring.

I suggest this is a simplified scenario to garden via the season or Yin and Yang. Maybe the heading should be gardening to Yin and Yang and the seasonality of it all coming to us.

Chi flow can be postulated as a seasonal thing. Abundant and active beneficial Chi is more obvious during Autumn and Spring periods and at times of the day when the influence of cold and hot wain. Beneficial or the Sheng Chi wants or seeks places where Yin and Yang are in balance in all their permeations including that of living and non living things. The rocks on the ground contain Chi alongside the plant beside the rock and the insect attached to the plant.

So really another scenario can take place and that is gardening to Chi. Now that's something! Same garden, same you and me, same birds and insects and animals but all relating to and influenced by Chi. Abundant and vibrant Chi symbolised by Yang fostering growth and development and change. And correspondingly, stagnant, regressive Chi associated with Yin wanting to withdraw into itself and be stabilised.

There's a middle ground on offer and through our observations and actions, stagnant, regressive Chi can be replaced or deflected in its influence by Sheng, positive, vibrant Chi influences and influences such as health, vigour, mystery and diversity. Vitality and interest, movements, sounds, smells, climatic appeal and ambiance and so on.

So really gardening by Yin and Yang and its companion Chi is a logical and valuable addition to the gardener's knowledge and arsenal of gardening tricks.

I suggest a package of tricks can be put together to foster the relationship between ourselves and Yin and Yang and Chi. My Harmonious Chi Gardening publication is a starting point. Wondrous Character gives an insight to Chi through its creation, Mechi. Maybe someone out there wants to put all these Yin and Yang, Chi traits together to form a gardening package. Not Feng Shui but simply gardening as nature would want through the world of Yin and Yang and Chi.