A Visit to Betty Ford’s Alpine Gardens

This Colorado garden spotlights plants adapted to grow in fragile mountain environments

Recently I visited a beautiful small garden , the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in nearby Vail , Colorado . An interesting feature article of mess garden is how many thing flower at the same time during a short growing season ; many plants that were long past their prime in my garden were at their peak during my sojourn in recent July . Both perennials and annuals in bloom were simply spectacular .

The Garden at a Glance

Located at 8,200 foot , this botanical gem have alpine industrial plant from across the world , helping to fulfill its charge to deepen understanding and promote conservation of these plant and their fragile mountain environment . In accession to its many beautiful garden , new projects were recently complete , and newfangled showing were on display .

The garden is broken up into several sections , including Taming the Mountain West , Alpine Plants of the World , Rocky Mountain Ecosystems , and the Pollinator Garden . Throughout their visits to these garden , the great unwashed see about the challenge of the alpine surround and the types of plants that develop in these surround in the Rocky Mountains and around the world , and they get word more than 100 rare and endangered species of plants .

Rocky Mountain Ecosystems Gardens

One of my favorite areas of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is the Rocky Mountain Ecosystems region . With winding pathways and bridges crisscrossing a current and waterfall , this region sport many of our aboriginal works . The garden balance works collecting needs in a naturalistic garden and have some pattern element that make them sense take in and cohesive . They entrance the essence of our Rocky Mountain environs and showcase how to apply our native plants in a garden background .

A newly installed area includes the Caucasus Mountains Rock Garden . The crevice - type John Rock garden features plants from the peck range where Russia , Georgia , and Azerbaijan intersect . This garden will be stunning in a distich of year after it establishes . It features rocks bury on their sides to create crevice in which to plant , mimicking the natural mountain range environs . midget starter plants were recently planted and will establish in the coming season .

Informative Exhibitions

In accession to the new garden , novel interpretative signage can now be find throughout the gardens to provide education to the many visitors .

At the south end , there is a Children ’s Garden for the unseasoned unity to search and a little museum gift shop . A larger gift shop is site in the center of the town of Vail , and proceeds support the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens ’ employment in gardening , education , and conservation .

In gain to the gardens , there is a new showing in the Education Center entitledAlpines : vanquisher of the Cold . The exhibit , created by garden stave to train the world about alpine industrial plant , features sensational picture taking , including works by John Fielder , a well - known Colorado landscape painting lensman . farseeing - time Mountain West residents and first - time visitors to Colorado alike are trusted to learn something newfangled about alpine plant and the delicacy of the alpine ecosystem . For more data , visit theBetty Ford Alpine Gardens internet site . Admission is free , although donations are greatly appreciated .

— Michelle Provaznik is executive director of the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

Note : Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is open to the populace during the COVID-19 pandemic . Social distancing is advocate . Per Colorado state law , mask are currently necessitate inside the Education Center and recommended in the garden when social distancing can not happen . When we visited , the gardens were busy , but invitee were following mask and social - distancing guideline .

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Betty Ford rock crevice garden

The rock gardens feature low-growing conifers. Photo: Michelle Provaznik

A sign at the entrance already begins to educate visitors on alpine plants.Photo: Michelle Provaznik

Betty Ford alpine plants garden

In this perennial border you will notice many species blooming simultaneously, including varieties ofgeranium(Geraniumspp. and cvs., Zones 4–8),goldenrod(Solidagospp. and cvs., Zones 3–9),lupine(Lupinusspp. and cvs., Zones 3–9),salvia(Salviaspp. and cvs., Zones 5–11), and our very ownRocky Mountain columbine(Aquilegia caerula, Zones 3–10).Photo: Michelle Provaznik