Betty Ford Alpine Gardens celebrates National Public Gardens Week

May 13 – 19, 2019 is National Public Gardens Week and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is celebrating with activities for the whole family!  Presented by the non-profit American Public Gardens Association, hundreds of Association member gardens across the country will hold special events and activities for schools, families and thousands of visitors to visit, value, and volunteer at their local public garden. Activities highlight the Gardens commitment to education, research and environmental stewardship.

As part of the festivities, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens will offer a variety of programming activities all week:

May 11 & 14 9:00 a.m. to Noon – Docent Training

May 13 at 9:00 a.m. – Volunteer Gardening begins

May 13 at 10:30 a.m. – Workshop: Sustainable Plants, Shrubs, & Trees with Nick

May 16 at 5:00 p.m. – Tajikistan & Uzbekistan: Plants & Adventures along the Silk Road

DOCENT TRAINING
May 11^th & 14^th | 9:00 a.m. to Noon | Education Center

No experience necessary just a great attitude and desire to engage. Docents are a vital part in creating a deeper experience for connecting visitors with the natural world. Instruction and refreshments provided.

VOLUNTEER GARDENING

May 13 | 9:00 a.m. | Meet at the Tool Shed

Tools and gloves provided. Please bring water, hat and dress appropriately.  The Gardens offer opportunities to get involved with the community, meet new people, and learn more about gardening in a mountain environment. Volunteers support the continued excellence of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens through their hard work and dedication.

GARDEN MASTER WORKSHOP – SUSTAINABLE PLANTS, SHRUBS & TREES WITH NICK

May 13 | 10:30 a.m. | Education Center | Cost is $5 | Free for members

Curator of Plant Collections discusses low maintenance plant solutions for organic gardening in Vail.

TAJIKISTAN & UZBEKISTAN – PLANTS & ADVENTURES ALONG THE SILK ROAD
May 16 | 5:00 p.m. | Education Center | FREE

Come learn about the newest garden and the significance behind its creation. In April of 2018, Nick Courtens traveled to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on a garden grant dedicated to learning and documenting the flora for inspiration of building a new rock garden dedicated to Central Asia.  Join Nick as he describes and displays hundreds of jaw dropping photos of geophytes, vast landscapes, colorful architecture and a rich culture with a long history for cultivation of plants. Nick will also describe how he built the new Silk Road Garden and the future of other plant collections at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. 

ABOUT THE GARDENS

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is an internationally acclaimed botanic garden known for alpine horticulture, education and conservation. It is North America’s highest elevation botanical garden at 8,200’ (2,700 m) in the central Rocky Mountains. The gardens are located in the resort town of Vail, Colorado, which attracts a global audience for skiing and outdoor recreation. More than 100,000 visitors a year freely wander the 5 acres of outdoor gardens, Education Center and Alpine House to explore a unique collection of alpine and mountain plants from around the world. To access Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, take the in-town bus to Golden Peak and cross into Ford Park through Manor Vail. If you are traveling from outside of Vail, park in the Vail Village parking structure and walk east along either South Frontage Road or the Gore Creek Trail to the pedestrian path in Ford Park. The Education Center is located directly west of the playground.