Q&A Sunday: Finding a Place for Garbage Cans

I'm really enjoying your podcast -- it's a wonderfully simple way to get into the art of feng shui, and I've started using some of the techniques and loving the simple tips and tricks you have provided. I wanted to ask something weird -- is there a good or bad place to put garbage cans within a room or home? I'm curious if the location of a garbage can affects the area and, if so, how?

Emily P., Milford, CT

Hi Emily

Thanks so much for listening to the podcast! I’d love to hear about how it’s going for you so far since you’ve incorporated some adjustments. Thank you also for writing in. The trash can question is not “weird” at all! In fact, you’re not the first person who’s asked me that. There are a few ways to look at the placement and use of the garbage bin. 

First, let's look at the practical function of a garbage can. A garbage bin serves as a temporary place for things you want to remove from your home. It's something we all really need and it isn't a bad thing! It's great to put it in a place where it serves a practical function, like in the kitchen, where you definitely need one! I often recommend that people put it under the sink or incorporate it into cabinets near the sink, where it's best used.  

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that it shouldn't be the first thing you see or a main focal point anywhere. You wouldn't want to walk into a home and see a garbage can, as it can shift you toward negative energy, and the same goes for its placement in the kitchen. It may be something you need in your home, but it shouldn't take the focus!

Desks and bathrooms are also great areas for small, functional trash bins that can be emptied often as necessary. Again here though, avoid letting the bins be first in the line of sight.

On another level, if you view the feng shui bagua in a more advanced way, it's composed of circles, not squares. In this situation, there are areas in between each circle. These spaces are often used for placement of necessary, but maybe not "positive," items like toilets and, you guessed it, garbage cans! Take a look at this bagua map and see if the spaces correlate to anywhere in your home where you can place a trash bin.

Wherever you place your garbage cans, be sure to take them out regularly. I'm partial to smaller bins, rather than giant trash cans, since it's necessary to empty them daily. There's nothing wrong with having a space for trash in your home, but you don't want it to allow refuse to rot and stink as it gathers. If you have this situation now, take a look at where it's located on the bagua map. This can be a sign of where you're not taking care of yourself! 

Finally, I would highly recommend taking a look at what is going into your trash can. Are you throwing things away that can be recycled or can lead to more sustainable living? If you have space, add in a recycling bin to the same area as your trash bin, and move a little focus toward living a bit greener by putting thought into what you're sending to landfills and what you're making available for reuse. 

As with many things in feng shui, trash cans and their placement are very symbolic, and it's really all about your intention. Keeping mindful of your garbage bins and what they represent, and taking care to keep them emptied and clean can make a huge difference in how your space feels. 

by Anjie Cho

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish. Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com.

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

Gardening Without the Garden: How to Garden When You Don't Have Outdoor Space

There’s just something about fresh-grown produce that elevates a good dish to a great dish. What’s a home cook to do, however, when there’s no home garden to harvest? Flex your green thumb and get ready! Whether your gardening is on hiatus due to seasonal weather or it’s non-existent because of lack of outdoor space, an indoor garden is just what you’re seeking.

Let’s start with where.

You can dedicate as much or as little space to your indoor garden as you wish. Ideally, your indoor plot will have ready access to natural light. A window sill is a natural fit for this. Consider using brackets up a length of your window frame and boards to add shelving if you’d like more window-fronted planting space. Other alternatives are a table, repurposed dresser, or bookshelf placed in a sunny spot. Heavier plants will be happy in beautiful pot on the floor. 

If your ideal space doesn’t have ready access to sunlight or you’re growing in the dead of winter, consider purchasing a grow light.

Most of your plants like a nice consistent ‘warm’ state. Aim for a range of 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. That should be easy enough because it likely falls within the same range a happy human enjoys. Just remember to avoid putting your indoor garden in a drafty space. 

So what will you grow?

Some plants are more readily adaptable to indoor gardening than others. As an example, you can grow tomatoes indoors, but certain varieties will be happier in a pot near a window than others. Smaller fruited plants like cherry, grape and plum will perform better than the larger varieties.

Carrots and other root vegetables require a good amount of room to grow down. If you want to try your hand at some crunchy goodness, look for a window box or pot that’s at least a foot and half deep. Alternatively, grow varieties that tend to be more short and squat than long and lean. One more tip: water your carrots with tepid chamomile tea to help ward off fungus! 

It’s probably no surprise that microgreens are a good indoor option. Look for a shallow pot or tray (no more than 2 inches deep) and use a seed mix containing greens like kale, Swiss chard, beets and mesclun. Mist the soil daily to keep it from drying out. Once the greens have grown 1-2 inches tall and have at least two sets of leaves on them, they’re ready to eat. Other good indoor plants include: lemons, potatoes, herbs, mushrooms, beans, and strawberries. Don’t stop there, either! Do some digging and experimenting to see what works well in your space. 

Your garden is also your décor.

As practical (and yummy!) as an indoor garden might be, it’s also unique and beautiful design choice! Get creative with your planters; empty tins (with drainage holes added), troughs made from reclaimed wood, and old shoe organizers can all make unique and beautiful planting options.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I are launching our program in September 2018. We have a free webinar “Five Feng Shui Tools Revealed: Must-Do Business Boosters for Soulpreneurs and Wellness Practitioners” coming up, too! To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

The Truth About Compostable Plastics

We’re in a time when people are finally starting to care a little more about our environment, and we’re taking steps to ensure that it sticks around for a while. That said, some of these steps aren’t quite as helpful as they may seem, especially when all the information isn’t provided. Case in point: compostable plastic ware.

First things first, there is a misunderstanding that the words “biodegradable” and “compostable” are interchangeable. They aren’t. For an object to be biodegradable, it merely has to have the capability to be broken down organically. If something is compostable, the American Society for Testing and Materials specifies that it can be broken down according to a specific process that ultimately leads to the production of humus. What does this mean? It means compostable plastic ware isn’t dealt with in the same manner as biodegradable plastic ware, especially since the two ultimately have different uses. Since compostable plastics are eventually returned to the soil from which we derive our food and water, their decomp must produce carbon dioxide and water, leave no distinguishable difference from other compost, and produce no toxic substance, otherwise we end up eating and drinking toxicity.

So what does that have to do with the purchase and use of compostable plastic ware? First of all, purchase of compostable plastic ware, for actual composting, requires more awareness and dedication to ensuring the substantial makeup of the product. If you’re buying these to ultimately throw in landfills (I hope you’re not), the difference between biodegradable and compostable isn’t terribly important. However, if you’re buying compostable plastic ware with the intent to actually do your part and compost it, it’s important to make sure it can actually be composted and not just degraded.

Secondly, us regular environmentally aware people can’t compost compostable plastic on our own. Because of the composition of plastic ware, the processes used in a professional composting facility are extremely important to the assurance that these utensils properly degrade in order to leave no toxic substance in our soil. No matter how awesome your compost pile at home is, we can’t produce the heat necessary to compost this plastic ware in a reasonable amount of time. So if you’re going to buy compostable plastic ware, know where the closest composting facility is and whether you have access to it, as these sorts of businesses often only cater to larger companies.

Here’s the other thing: production of compostable plastic ware requires massive amounts of certain crops, including corn and potatoes, which are often grown using a system called monocropping. In short, when a farmer monocrops, he uses the exact same land over and over again to grow the exact same crop. Get it? Mono. Crop? The issue with this process is that growing in this style rapidly depletes the earth used to grow these crops, not only wearing out the soil faster, but making crops harder to grow. Lots of times this results in farmers turning to chemicals to promote growth in dilapidated fields. Is this all coming together yet? As much as many of us want to do our parts to contribute to rebuilding our planet, it seems that compostable plastic ware may not be the best route. Make sure you know what you’re buying into when you pick up that box of forks.  

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I are launching our program in September 2018. We have a free webinar “Five Feng Shui Tools Revealed: Must-Do Business Boosters for Soulpreneurs and Wellness Practitioners” coming up, too! To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.