Betty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine Gardens
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is a beautiful garden in the heart of Vail. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what the Gardens offer. The commitment to conservation and education of fragile high alpine regions across the world has earned it worldwide attention and acclaim.
Your gift powers the Gardens’ team to work year-round to not only create a magical alpine experience in the Gardens but also drive efforts to preserve our Alpine region. Thank You.
"A society grows great when [people] plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
Special projects are supported by the community. Click below to see the future plans for the Gardens.
Contact Development Director, Melissa Ebone at 970-306-7616 or email here at Melissa@bettyfordalpinegardens.org to explore possibilities.
As it is integral to the survival of alpine plants, water is inherent to the mission of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. Water conservation is close to the heart of our efforts: both in terms of the Gardens’s waterwise horticultural practices and in our team’s educational efforts to inform the public who enjoy the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens on a daily basis.
The beaver pond restoration project will reduce water loss while mitigating the volume of water necessary to operate the features. In so doing, the restoration of the water features will transform their impact by decreasing their water usage, and mitigating the frequency of their maintenance work.
In the early days of the Gardens, the staff at the then Vail Alpine Gardens installed a system of original railings alongside the Gardens’ stone steps. Embracing the organic forms of the mountainous environment in which the Gardens are nestled, the team used wooden staffs and footings to construct them. After nearly forty years of service, the railings at the Gardens are about to see an upgrade.
Works of art in-and-of-themselves, the railings will highlight the beauty to be found at the confluence of human hands and the natural world. The splendor at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is evidence of the symbiosis that happens when these two entities—human craftsmanship and natural beauty—come together. As such, the new railings will serve as a testament to the beauty and integrity of the gardens as both a cultural and natural landmark—in the Vail Valley and in the world.
A new Garden is coming to the Gardens in 2024. Inspired by his trip to the Czech Rock Garden Society Conference in CZ, Colin Lee, Senior Horticulturist, will design a new tufa rock garden. After touring some of the finest crevice and rock gardens in the Czech Republic and hearing presentations from top professionals in the field at the birthplace of modern crevice gardening, Colin has his bedrock inspiration for the new tufa rock garden.
Tufa rock is a porous volcanic rock with many small spaces for planting. Alpine and saxatile plants thrive here and the Gardens found a large source of this material for the new garden .
Thank you. These new projects throughout the Gardens have been funded with the support of our community.
Thank you. These new projects throughout the Gardens have been funded with the support of our community.
Built in 2023, this Mountain Waterwise Garden is a reimagined main entrance for thousands of visitors to Ford Park and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. This Gardens’ mission is to include the use of waterwise perennials, trees and shrubs both native and cultivated in the landscape.
Generously funded by the Borgen Family Foundation in honor of Kathy Borgen.
Contact Development Office at 970-306-7616 to explore possibilities.
The list below includes special ways of honoring someone. Click on the text below to learn more about these opportunities.
You can honor or celebrate a special person with a gift to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Use the link below and include their name in the comments section. If you would like us to mail something to them or to their family, please include contact information in the comments box as well.
Sometimes families choose to ask the community to give donations to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in lieu of flowers when someone dies. If you want to do this and need a specific donation form with a link, please contact our Development Office here.
Benches in the Gardens are available to honor or celebrate loved ones. Benches cost $25,000 to name and the bench tribute plaque is for 10 years. Bench program participants are expected to make an annual gift to the Gardens to support the Gardens that house the bench. At 9 years after the dedication, the original funder of the plaque will be contacted with the first option to renew the plaque for an additional 10 years.
Complete the Bench Program Interest Form here or contact our Development Office directly at 970-476-0103 x5
For the nature-lover in your life, the person who cares about conservation or that person that you really want to give a gift that says I care about what you care about. You can purchase a year-long membership here.
Sharing his knowledge with the community was part of the vibrant fabric of Nick Courtens. To honor Nick, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens wants to name the community education program in his honor. This named series continues his legacy of inspiring the community about the environment.
This fund will be invested and allow the Gardens to build and grow community education programs in his name. This fund allows these programs to be available at low cost to the community.
The community education programs will include things like workshops, lectures, and expert guests. This is a chance for community members and guests to build their knowledge and expand connections with each other, just like Nick was always doing, sharing his knowledge and creating community wherever he went.
Read the Vail Daily article here: Betty Ford Alpine Gardens to start community educational series in honor of Nick Courtens.
Donate link: Donate In Nick’s memory
Contact Development Director, Melissa Ebone at 970-476-0103 ext 5 or email to explore possibilities.
Just as plants need good soil and a strong foundation to grow, so does Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. Leaving a gift to the Gardens in your estate plans protects the Gardens you love and continues the work to protect the alpine environment into the future. Read more below.
You can support the Gardens with your estate planning.
Leaving a gift to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in your will is the most common way that individuals ensure the work of the Gardens’ continues for the next generation.
These gifts often take the form of:
Your tax advisor can guide you on the best way to take care of your family and the mission of the charities you hold dear. Oftentimes, with strategic planning, you are able to do more with your assets because of the tax implications of different types of giving.
Our gift acceptance policy states that all undesignated gifts to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are put into capital reserve fund. If you would like to discuss different plans for your gift, please reach out and let us know.
Our Tax ID # is 74-2395097
*If you have made a plan for the Gardens in your estate plans, we invite you to share this information with us. We hope to celebrate this decision with you and understand your goals and intentions to make sure your wishes happen.
When you make a plan for the Gardens in your estate plans, we invite you to share this information with us and join the Bristlecone Pine Legacy Society. We hope to celebrate this decision with you and understand your goals and intentions to make sure your wishes happen.
The Society gathers once a year to celebrate the impact of your decision and get updates on the future direction of the Gardens from the director.
Longevity, Resilience, Beauty
Endowment gifts will secure the future of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. An endowed contribution is permanently invested, and only a portion of the earnings is withdrawn. The principal is never spent. Endowment gifts ensure the legacy of the Gardens for future generations. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has an actively managed investment portfolio to ensure that our investments are protected and allowed to grow.
Endowment Policy: The Gardens draw a 4.5% distribution annually.
Current – $2,800,000
Endowment Goal – $16,000,000
With an additional $13million, the Gardens will fund the current operations of the Gardens in perpetuity.
Contact the Gardens directly to discuss this fund.
Created in honor of Gardens’ founder, Helen Fritch, this named fund supports the Gardens, education projects and conservation.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the matching challenges from the Fritch family over the last 4 years.
Contact Development Director, Melissa Ebone at 970-476-0103 ext 5 or email to explore possibilities.