Many people love the vivacity and therapeutic great thing about vegetation, whether or not that is inside the house with some air-cleaning houseplants, or rising some meals for our households exterior within the vegetable backyard. However possible many people will not be turning these hobbies right into a profitable aspect hustle, as Maryland-based entrepreneur and self-professed plant fanatic Clara Leung has finished throughout the previous few years together with her home-based start-up Clara’s Inexperienced Home.
However Leung additionally offers her ardour for vegetation an intriguing twist, by combining it together with her in-depth data of the standard Chinese language observe of feng shui, which goals to harmonize the energies of the house, to be able to promote well being and prosperity.
Leung—who works full-time as an accountant with the US Division of Justice, along with being a mom and a member of the deaf group—received a fortunate break in beginning her profitable on-line plant-selling enterprise when she tried to promote an additional plant from her home. As Leung defined to Treehugger, that small act has since blossomed into quite a lot of companies, which she affords to make sure that purchasers design and prepare their residence in order that vitality “flows” in an optimum approach:
“Every little thing nearly occurred by chance! I examined promoting one dumb cane plant (Dieffenbachia seguine) in a fantastic vase on Fb Market, together with some feng shui placement ideas, and it offered in lower than three seconds. That’s when Clara’s Inexperienced Home began. I run it throughout weeknights and weekends, and my enterprise primarily operates on-line whereas offering primary and superior feng shui recommendation, and now and again, houseplant workshops in-person. I additionally present one-on-one session companies on-line and in-person.”
Leung has offered over 3,000 vegetation since that fateful day. Her former eating room, which is the spot that will get essentially the most pure daylight in her tastefully embellished and feng shui-optimized townhouse residence, has now been remodeled right into a makeshift greenhouse the place Leung grows and nurtures her plant progeny, earlier than they’re shipped off to completely satisfied prospects all around the United States in lovely planters, and with a few of Leung’s do-it-yourself soil combine.
Clara Leung
The traditional observe of feng shui has possible been round for hundreds of years and seems to have been used as a solution to orient buildings of their environments in order that the movement of the common qi, or the “cosmic present” of vitality, would movement nicely. By extension, these practices that additionally purpose to stability the dualistic and interdependent energies of yin and yang will be utilized to the objects discovered inside the residence.
By making use of these ideas, it is believed that individuals can enhance their wealth, happiness, and longevity. As Leung, who’s initially from Hong Kong, factors out, vegetation play an enormous function in making certain that the feng shui in a house is wholesome:
“Feng shui has been practiced by my household for generations; I realized from my mom and my grandmother. Feng shui incorporates 5 components: water, air, earth, hearth, and steel. Vegetation are what ‘earth’ means. Vegetation give good feng shui to individuals’s houses and lives, whereas additionally offering well being advantages. The invisible obligation of almost all vegetation is to scrub the poisonous air indoors!”
It is actually fascinating what can emerge from this mix of plant data and age-old traditions. Leung offers us some attention-grabbing tidbits of recommendation on how to verify the location and association of vegetation are finest finished in response to feng shui ideas:
“Some normal feng shui guidelines of thumb embody: don’t hold vegetation straight from the ceiling as a result of it represents your sad life; and don’t place planters straight on the ground, so having a plant stand is important for all planters as ground ornament. This helps guarantee clean air movement all through the entire residence.”
Leung, who additionally contains extra focused, plant-specific, and site-specific recommendation for every buyer who buys vegetation from her on-line greenhouse, has this to say about which specific plant varieties are usually finest for houses:
“Take into account that spiky vegetation are dangerous feng shui, so it is advisable to keep away from them. Out of all of the pothos varieties, the golden pothos is the one plant that isn’t good feng shui as a result of it represents disappointment and despair. As for the location, the ZZ cash tree is tied to monetary wealth, so for instance putting it someplace your own home workplace the place you’re employed and earn cash is extremely beneficial.”
Leung’s ardour for vegetation and her dedication to her flourishing home-based business continues to develop with every passing day, and he or she tells us that she has some concepts on the right way to additional develop it sooner or later:
“Returning prospects have expressed their curiosity in me having a bodily store, to allow them to come and store for feng shui houseplants. So proudly owning a cell store sometime is my aim, and I’ve been engaged on elevating funds to finish this aim.”
Leung’s story as a eager “plantfluencer” and avid practitioner of the traditional artwork of feng shui is really an inspiring one. You possibly can take a look at Clara’s Inexperienced Home through the web site, Instagram, or Fb Market pages.