Betty Ford Alpine Gardens
Searching for a place to soothe your soul, restore your spirit or calm
your nerves? Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Garden is a summer destination
for the worn and weary. No parades of people, no jostling, no ticket
taking. The garden is free, rarely packed, beautifully planted and
inviting.
At 8,200 feet, Betty ford alpine gardens are the highest public
botanical gardens in North America. This elegant garden is a place of
quiet reflection, a tiny oasis of tranquility within a few acres. What
began as a demonstration garden has evolved into an important site for
those who delight in meditation gardens, mountain habitats and native
plants.
Marty Jones and Helen Fritch originally wanted to showcase the variety
of perennials that could be grown in a mountain setting. But nearly 20
years later, their original idea has blossomed into an important
pilgrimage for those who love unique gardens. The garden, they both
say, mirrors the mountains, although condensed to human scale.
Because of the cool Vail nights, many flowers bloom longer and the
blooms overlap. Peonies and daisies may appear at the same time. At
lower altitudes, peonies have disappeared before daisies open. For
mountain dwellers, this intense season is ordinary. But for visitors
from the Front Range, it adds an otherworldly feeling, as if the garden
is slightly supernatural.
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Betty Ford Alpine Gardens
The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is one of the highest botanical garden, striving to maintain a diverse and healthy collection of species.
