What once was an expanse of grasslands and marshes was transformed into a massive garden. Thousands of men worked on the project. Trees were brought in from different locations in France, flowers were planted, canals and pools were added, and sculptures were erected in different areas (via Versailles Palace Tickets.) The water features of the gardens have a great significance, according to art historian Tea Gudek Snajder. He described the marvelous gardens as a symbol of Louis XIV's sheer power, according to Live Science.
One of the features of the Versailles gardens is the Latona Fountain, which consists of sculptures depicting scenes from the poem "Metamorphoses" by Ovid. The walkways have an expanse of green grass, called the Green Carpet, adorned by trees. The garden also has an Orangerie, filled with over a thousand orange, lemon, and pomegranate trees, according to Britannica.
Versailles' garden needs to be maintained in order to keep its grandeur. Replanting is a must every hundred years, and according to Chateau Versailles, this was done at the time of Louis XVI, and then during Napoleon III's reign. The garden was destroyed in a destructive storm in 1999, but was restored as close as possible to how it originally looked. With the beauty and grandeur to match the palace, it's no wonder it took more than 40 years to complete the Versailles Palace gardens.
