Spread over a vast expanse of 15 acres, the Gardens draw their inspiration from the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the greenscape around the Taj Mahal and even miniature paintings of India and Persia. Sir Edwin Lutyens had finalized the designs by 1917, however, it was only during the year 1928-1929 that plantings were done. His collaborator for the gardens was Director of Horticulture, William Mustoe. Like the building of Rashtrapati Bhavan have two different styles of architecture, Indian and western, similarly, Sir Lutyens brought together two different horticulture traditions together for the gardens, the Mughal style and the English flower garden. Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.