Mughal
Gardens of Delhi are situated inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex. Sir
Edwin Lutyens designed these gardens, sprawling across six hectares, for
Lady Harding. These gardens combine the formal Moghul style with the
British garden designs and sport Mughal canals, multi-level terraces and
flowering shrubs along with European flowerbeds, lawns and privet
hedges. W. R. Mustoe was responsible for planting the appropriate
shrubs, plants and trees in the garden. Together, the two masterminds
transformed it into an oasis by 1929. The Mughal Gardens consist of
three parts - the Rectangular Garden immediately behind the main
building, the Long Garden and the Circular Garden.A virtual paradise, it has four waterways with unique fountains at the intersections that consist of 3-tiered huge red sandstone discs that resemble lotus leaves. Plots of lawn and chequered flowerbeds lend an enchanting look to this wonderfully landscaped garden. In the Long Garden, there is a splendid Pergola on which bougainvillea creepers are grown and the bed of roses and trimmed hedge of Ingadulets on its sides look like the colored knots on a vast carpet. The massed segmental and tiered flowerbeds around the pool in the Circular Garden are the best place to see butterflies. Thus, it is also known as the Pearl Garden and Butterfly Garden.
The variety of flowers found here include rose, viscaria, teptosyne, sweet william, oxalis, marigold and bougainvillea and several other annuals and perennials. It has more than 250 rose varieties at one place including the Benkinsian, believed to be the parent of all strains, 60 kinds of bougainvillea, the best and largest collection of Indian marigold flowers with 13 different, dahlias of all colors such as shades of pink, mauve, golden rust, red, white, yellow and even red and white striped dahlias, which look like peppermint. Besides these, there are special Moulsari trees, chosen by Lutyens because of their Indian origin. The bonsai collection here is undoubtedly one of the finest in the country. The Mughal Gardens remain open for public during the months of February to March, except on Mondays.
