Dear Karen,

I decided that, since moving my bin was not an option (and anyway did I really want to transfer the problem to my love and marriage area?!), I would try some corrective Feng Shui.

I tried mirrors, but they looked funny. Then I tried a crystal suspended from the trellis that screens the bin from the garden. Within an hour of my hanging the crystal, my four year old and her friend had made the house look as though someone had emptied a dustbin in every room - I was shocked. Of course I then realized that the crystal reflects and magnifies whatever is within its orbit - in this case the dustbin as well as the garden!

I removed the crystal and replaced it with a small wind chime and some violet-blue pansies in an urn. I have always felt that this particular corner should have blue flowers, so this pleases me whenever I look outside, but I wonder is there something more I should/could do to counteract the dustbin?

- S.B, UK

Karen's reply:

The first thing to look at is whether there is any evidence of the positioning of your dustbin affecting you energetically? If your finances are fine and you feel blessed in your life, then no action is needed. Either there is already some counter-balancing Feng Shui remedy at work which you haven't yet realized or the size of your dustbin in relation to the size of your property is so small as to be inconsequential.

If you feel that some action is necessary and it's totally impossible to move the dustbin, then simply build a nice looking structure to enclose it and place some tubs of flowering plants on top to lift the energy of the area. And make sure your garbage is cleared out regularly.