Similar to Persian gardens, the typical ancient Egyptian garden had an enclosure wall, trees and flowers, canals, wells, and a small pond and provided shelter and respite from the elements. The pleasure gardens in wealthy residences were typically rectangular, with the central pond, surrounded by flowers and lotuses, serving as a water source for the surrounding rings of trees and flower beds, which included plums, medicinal plants, and more, as well as utility plants such as papyrus. Fish and fowl were kept in the gardens as well.
Egyptians also created gardens inside temples, which included symbolic trees and other plants designed to invoke the gods and ingredients to help priests carry out rituals and funerals. To further this environment, the architecture of the temples emulated natural features, with columns being carved like papyrus. For the dead, models of the gardens they enjoyed in life were placed in their tombs so that they could have them in the afterlife.