Mughal Gardens unfold floral carpets, 120 rose varieties

Floral carpets adorning immaculately manicured lawns, palette of colours and range of flowers in the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan -- 'Careless Love', 'Kiss of Fire', and 'Lady X' are here to capture the visitor's imagination at the Mughal Gardens that will be open to the public Friday.

The attraction of the Gardens spread over 15 acres is floral carpet -- reflecting months of hard work and imagination that the horticulture department of Rashtrapati Bhavan put in. Promising over 120 varieties of roses, hybrid tulips, stalks, daisy, dehlia, pansies, and bonsai plants -- the Gardens will be open from Feb 10 to Mar 15 for public.

"We have to plan the pattern for Gardens months before. We try and plan the colour scheme at the time we plant seeds," said Nigam Semwal, officer of horticulture at the Mughal Gardens.

The floral gardens is a symmetric pattern of flowers embedded on the grass in the shape of a carpet.

While the Mughal Gardens houses long garden, spiritual garden, herbal garden, and musical fountains, President Pratibha Patil's personal favourite is the circular garden that has marigolds and pansies accompanying bubble fountain.

"Circular Garden... I come here for a walk sometimes. The variety of flowers in this garden is symbolic of the country's unity and diversity we are maintaining,” Patil told reporters in a  media preview Thursday.

The bulbous tulips in red, yellow, and white spread over rectangular spaces are the first set to catch visitor's eye. The tulips, in full bloom during the month of February, are planted in the month of October to be ready for visitors.

After sauntering by the tulip beds and fountains, roses and pansies delight the visitors with their intriguing names and radiant hues. Some of the attractions are Mother India, Lady X, Iceberg, First Prize, Eiffel Tower, Careless Love, and Just Joey among others.

Last year, the Gardens were decked up with the theme of vertical garden -- the concept of developing a floral wall. Mughal Gardens see huge crowds every year.

The Gardens will be open to the general public on all days from Feb 10 to Mar 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but  entry will be open only up to 4 p.m.

The rectangular Mughal Gardens were designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, who laid out the architectural pattern of New Delhi capital city, and are adjacent to the main Rashtrapati Bhavan building.

"The Udyanotsav shall remain closed on every Monday, during this period on account of maintenance activities. It shall also remain closed Feb 15 for a programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan," a statement from Rashtapati Bhavan said.

"It shall also remain closed Mar 8 on Holi festival," it added.

The entry and exit to the Gardens will be from gate number 35 of the President's Estate, which is located near North Avenue at the extreme end of Church Road, about 300 metres west of the Cathedral Church of the Redemption.