The summer at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens was bright, blooming, and bustling. Here are some highlights.
Garden Magic: This summer, the gardens exploded into an impressive array of color and bloom. The pollinator garden became a pollinator paradise—buzzing, morning and evening, with bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Bijou’s garden saw a restoration that infused the Gardens with color and life. The beaver pond water features underwent renovations that improved their efficacy and environmental impact. Every day, the Gardens treated visitors to a gorgeous variety of horticultural wonder.
Dinosaurs Among Us: It was the summer of the dinosaur at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. This year’s exhibit, “Dinosaurs Among Us” drew countless visitors—and dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages. Children dug in the paleontology sand pit and completed explorer worksheets while adults learned about the evolution of dinosaurs to modern-day birds or watched our summer’s featured documentary series. A dinosaur-themed scavenger hunt propelled adventurers through the gardens to answer the question: “what do a Tyrannasaurus rex and a chicken have in common?” (hint: you might save this bone from a rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving turkey for a bit of next-day fun). If you missed the exhibit and thematic activities this summer, fear not! This exhibit will remain on display through the winter.
Botanical Mocktail Member Event: At the end of June, our friends at Root & Flower taught a group of mixology-minded members their secrets to a dynamic and tasty mocktail. We learned how to make an alcohol-free juniper berry-inspired martini and a botanic berry-ginger smash. For more exclusive member events, join here.
Yoga in the Gardens: Throughout the beloved seasonal series, we flowed through chaturangas, breathed deeply, and rested in savasana at Yoga in the Gardens. Yoga in the Gardens is a collaborative weekly class in which local yoga experts guide visitors—many of them returning year after year—through yoga flows in the stunning and tranquil garden environment. This summer, some intrepid yogis even chose to end their practice with a cold plunge in Gore Creek!
Chefs in the Gardens: For six weeks in July and August, we were treated to the expertise and culinary creations of six beloved local chefs. Simone Reatti of La Nonna taught us all about panatone. Chef Taylor of Taylor Made gave us a glimpse into the world of mushrooms.
This summer fundraiser for Betty Ford Alpine Gardens remains a huge success—thanks to you. Members have early access to ticket purchasing. Join us here.
Talks & Workshops: Local paleontologist and dinosaur hunter Billy Doran drew an impressive crowd for his talk on the dinosaurs of Eagle County. Lynn Albers shared her extensive knowledge of local history and ethnobotany during her talk, “Native Utes: Their History and Botanical Knowledge.” One thing we learned? Yarrow was the ultimate pharmacy. Eleven budding botanical artists attended the daylong workshop “Finding Your Inner Botanical Artist,” co-hosted by the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists. They learned about botanical art and its unique approaches, and studied plant structures, basic leaf shape, venation and leaf arrangement on stems.
Nick Courtens Series: Sharing his knowledge with the community was part of the vibrant fabric of late Curator, Nick Courtens. The Nick Courtens Series perpetuates Nick’s legacy of inspiring the community about the environment. This event series is underwritten by the Nick Courtens Fund and free to the community. This summer, two installments of the Nick Courtens Series—“Exploring the South Island of New Zealand: Botany in Te Waka a Maui” with Rowan Nygard and “Creating an Herb Container Garden” with Fourth Street Farm—informed and delighted participants. If you’d like to contribute to the fund, you can make a donation online here.
Conservation: As much as the summer bustle has pumped life into the Gardens, so too has the high alpine been seeing its full swing. Emily Griffoul, conservation scientist, and Mary Ipson, 2024 conservation intern, have had their hands full with field work in the alpine this summer. They have been carefully monitoring rare plants like Alpine Twinpod (Physaria alpina) and Penland’s Eutrema (Eutrema penlandii). Our Conservation Team has also continued to scout for and voucher populations of alpine plants that could support a seed collection. A voucher is an herbarium specimen that is taken to both document biodiversity and to serve as “proof” of the species found, especially for seed collections. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has permits to collect vouchers and seeds from public land, and these vouchers are stored at the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium at Denver Botanic Gardens.
What a great summer we had with you—thank you for making it happen.
