In accordance with the qualities of the four directional quadrants (northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest), Vastu Vastu prescribes an ideal arrangement of trees, plants, gardens, flowers, and water reservoirs or wells upon the plot in order to accomplish harmony with the manifold universal energies.
There should neither be tall nor short trees in the north, northwest, or east of the plot. Tall trees in these directions prevents the organic inflow of auspicious energies and the beneficial rays of the morning sun. An equal spread of tall and short trees in the west, southwest, and south is very auspicious because they help block negative influences from those directions.
The total number of trees on the plot should not be even nor a number with zero. Avoid having a tree directly in front of the main entrance of the house. Trees which cast shadows on the house between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM are inauspicious and should be avoided if possible. If it is entirely necessary to cut down a tree, then tell the tree the day before doing so. Say something along the lines of, "I'm sorry but due to inevitable circumstances I am forced to remove you. Please forgive me. I will plant another tree of your kind at a suitable time and place." Saying that, give the tree some water. After removing the tree, plant a tree of the same kind within three months and water it for at least three days.
Gardens are ideally situated in the open spaces in the north, northeast, and east, and the sitting benches in those areas should be in the west and south with a view to the north and east. According to Vastu, thorny plants (with the exception of roses and cactuses) have a negative influence and should not be planted on the house plot. Climbing plants should not be grown on the northern and eastern compound walls, they should be restricted to the garden. In your garden area, flowers are best situated in the west, northwest, and east but not in the southwest, southeast, or northeast corners.
Vastu strongly emphasizes that any type of water cycle system must be in harmony with the five great elements, and most importantly, with the course of the sun. Harmonizing water with nature is achieved by positioning a well or any other water function in the northeast where the subtle quality of water becomes more auspicious. The well should not be placed on the plot's northeast to southwest diagonal axis. The well should be located either to the right or left of that diagonal. The positioning preference of a well should be in this order: east, north, west, and then south. A well or another water function should not be placed in the southwest, southeast, northwest, or in the middle of the plot.
Sewage water systems should not be installed in the northeast near a drinking water system. Sewage systems can be placed in the northwest corner, the north, between the north and northeast, or between the south and southwest. In ancient Indian culture, toilets, and to some extent, bathrooms, were placed outside the main building. If indoor toilets can't be avoided, then they should be positioned avoiding the southwest, northwest, northeast, the four main directions, and the central area of a building.
