This weekend Feng Shui consultant Helen Williams is in Bermuda to give a workshop to be held at the Botanical Gardens entitled `Feng Shui in the Garden'.

The three-hour slide and video illustrated workshop will cover the principles of Feng Shui in the garden and how to apply them. In order to work on their own gardens, participants are asked to bring along a garden sketch or plan and photographs. Williams is hosted by resident Feng Shui consultant Barbara Bluck.

Originally, the art of Feng Shui came from studying the environment, explained Barbara: "For centuries the ancient Chinese observed landscapes in the world around them. They noticed how the environment was affected by the 1`chi', or `cosmic breath of life', as it was moved by the weather.

"For example, they saw the results of strong winds or gentle breezes moving through the mountains and plains, dense fog blanketing the valleys or hanging from the mountain tops, rushing rivers or stagnant pools. Then they learned how to control the movement of the chi to create balance and harmony around them.

"In the beginning Feng Shui practitioners were only allowed to practice their art for the Emperor and the nobility. It was considered unnecessary for the common people to know about and use these skills. Today, the information is available to all, and is being employed all over the world,'' noted Barbara.

"Using Feng Shui in the garden derives the same benefits as using Feng Shui the home and office, your surroundings are brought into balance and harmony.

When you consider that your goal is always to bring the good chi or energy to you, you recognise that the entrance to your life is not just at the front door of your home. Your personal space begins at the boundary of your property. Therefore, when your garden is in balance it will support and nourish both you and your home,'' explained Barbara .

The art of Feng Shui recognises that you attune your garden to provide the atmosphere you desire. For example, you may want a peaceful spot to meditate and connect with nature. In a garden such as this, trees create good feng shui in several ways: In summer their shade offers cool protection from the heat of the sun; they provide movement as the leaves flutter in the breeze; they attract birds, whose songs provide music; their leaves and flowers offer colour to calm and inspire; their flowers offer fragrance to relax and nurture. Any place in a garden where the chi is obstructed or becomes stagnant represents bad Feng Shui. A good example of this would be a dark, overgrown corner of the garden where the plants are growing so densely that light cannot penetrate. Perhaps in that section of the property there is also an old, abandoned fish pond with stagnant water. This is the energy of neglect and decay.

Here is a list of plants and their meanings from the best selling guide `Feng Shui in the Garden' that you can incorporate in your garden.

Aloe -soothing and healing; geranium-triumph through persistence; cedar tree -- cleansing and preserving; nasturtium -- vitality in the face of challenge; jasmine-trust yourself; rose -- love what you do or else don't do it; You can also incorporate peace lilies in an indoor setting to purify the air.

These amazing plants could save you life by eating toxins in your environment.

*** There will be an introductory talk on Friday, October 13 at 7.30 p.m.

Interested parties can call Barbara at 295-2554. Helen Williams started her company, "Place Right'' in Toronto in 1993. She teaches Feng Shui and sacred space, writes and consults in homes and businesses and gardens. She is also a part-time faculty member at Toronto's Ryerson Polytechnic University.