Sprawled
across six hectares of the Rashtrapati Bhavan Complex, the famous Mughal
Gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens 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 transform it into an oasis by
1929. The 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 perinnials. It has more than 250 rose varieties at one place including the Benkinsian, believed to be the parent of all strains, 60 kinds of boigainvillea, 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. One can only visit these gardens during the months of February to March, except on Mondays.
