There is a special bond between Chinese culture and flowers.
So much so that there almost always is a special meaning attached to any flowering plant.
There are also groups of flowers that tend to multiply symbolism when depicted together.
One of such groups is the 4 gentlemen of flowers.
Also known as the 4 noble plants, this is a theme of flowers consisting of the members plum, chrysanthemum, orchid and bamboo.
Individually, these plants represent valued aspects of life including certain aspects of nobility.
But when depicted in a group, it becomes a very powerful symbol of overall nobility.
For example, the chrysanthemum on it’s own is often display for it’s connotations with longevity even though it has aspects of nobility. But when the 4 gentlemen of flowers is presented together, then the symbolism of nobility takes center stage. The main life aspects of the plants individually then secondary symbolism.
It’s sort of like an olympic swimmer being good at swimming, but then becomes part of the group athletes when with his countrymen of games participants.
While using real plants are often recommended when creating displays for feng shui, the most common way the 4 noble plants are placed in homes is with paintings.
Placement of 4 gentle of flowers
Because the life aspect that homeowners would be calling on is with nobility, the best placement of such paintings is where the Chien trigram (northwest) is as that is the house sector associated with mentor luck.
Otherwise, they can also be hung in the east and southeast as these two directional sections are associated with wood energy.
When placed in wealth sectors, they can represent accumulating wealth in noble ways without running afoul of the law.
They are also generally suitable for living rooms so that every member in the household can draw on the energy of nobility in what they do.
This can mean in school, at work, or in doing business.