Greetings Betty Ford Gardens Staff, Members, Donors, and Friends,
I’m Tate, wrapping up as the final intern this season. If we didn’t have the chance to meet, a bit about me: I come from a background in greenhouse work, trial gardens, and freelance landscaping, with a dual-major in Horticulture. Growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, my parents’ historic property had rock gardens filled with sedums, sempervivums, and daisies, which I loved to help expand whenever I visited. Over the past six years, I’ve been dedicated to garden creation and learning new techniques.
This summer has been a dream come true. Working with the Betty Ford staff has been a true highlight, and I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunity. I was so eager that I sent my application directly to Colin Lee [Curator of Plant Collections] last fall, even before he’d posted about the 2024 internship!
Season Highlights:
The Butterfly Launch was unforgettable—300 third graders and a lot of duck-duck-goose! Though I suggested other games having camp counselor experience, they were hooked on that one. At 6’4″, I certainly wasn’t their size, but I joined them in endless rounds of the game, making memories I’ll treasure.
Working with the volunteers was another joy. Each week, we shared stories that made each day feel special. The connections I made with them felt like reconnecting with old friends, and I’m grateful for their kindness and camaraderie.
As the season’s Irrigation and Water Specialist, I conducted daily readings and calculations of our water features to monitor use and manage necessary repairs. My experience in irrigation really came in handy, and I worked hard to ensure BFAG’s systems ran efficiently. One major task involved restoring a malfunctioning island bed on Betty Ford Way—a true team effort that ended with a satisfying fix and a new perennial planting, which I’m proud to have completed.
I learned so much about alpine and rock garden plants this summer. Gentians and Penstemons became new favorites, while a memorable expedition led to finding Cirsium funkiae—the funky thistle—in the scree fields of Hoosier Pass. I can’t wait to explore more about thistles this winter!
Designing troughs was a fun, creative part of my role, including a hammering special trough topdressed for the nate curator Nick Courtens. It was rewarding to see our ideas take shape in these unique features. I spent the final months of the season collecting as many seeds as possible in the garden, and have over 50 varieties to add to our seed bank. I also spent the last few weeks working mornings in the greenhouse, sowing over 40 plant varieties and setting them up for stratification. Collaborating with Colin, we perfected some growing conditions with cold stratification, using a mini fridge and even outdoor methods for a true mountain experience.
The long-awaited Tufa Build I was teased by before starting finally happened just five days before my season ended! Working with rock gardeners Kenton Seth and Dom Turnbull, we incorporated nine tufa boulders into a new collection for next year’s plantings. This experience taught me so much about rock gardening, and I hope to return in the spring to see it flourish.
What’s Next? I’ll be wintering in Fort Collins with my cat George and reuniting with my mini-Aussie, Blue, who’s been staying with my parents. I’ll be doing fall cleanups, landscape transformations, and growing projects—and attending the BFAG wreath workshop this winter. I’m hoping to return to the mountains next spring.
Thank you to everyone who made this season possible. Each day at Betty Ford felt fulfilling and meaningful because of this incredible team.
To read more about my experience, check out my digital portfolio at www.tateerickson.com/experience or reach me at tate.erickson@stickpeople.com.
