Tragic death of Nick Courtens, of Betty Ford Gardens.

[Maggi Young]

Desperately sad news of the accidental death in a rafting accident,  of Nick Courtens, Curator of Plant Collections at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail, Colorado  and great friend to the Scottish Rock Garden club.
He was a livewire and daredevil, an  exciting gardener and good guy - gone too soon - R.I.P. Nick.

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Nick Courtens in Sweden 2017 photo by Johan Nilson
 
Nick visted Europe, including Scotland in 2015 to learn more about alpine growing in the UK - particularly in the alpine houses of the botanic gardens and some of the best private gardens - he was aided in this project by a grant from the SRGC's Diana Aitchison Grant Scheme.
 
Nick wrote about many of his adventures on that trip here: 
http://nickcourtens.blogspot.com/2015_03_01_archive.html  and , for instance, his visit to Cyril Lafong with Ian Christie: http://nickcourtens.blogspot.com/2015/03/cyril-lafongs-mansions.html

and  there is more here in the SRGC Forum https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=12934.0

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Nick Courtens in April  2023 - fishing with Paul Spriggs

[Maggi Young]

 
"A public celebration of life has been scheduled for Eagle County local Nick Courtens Nick Courtens, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens' curator of plant collections,on Friday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail."

Courtens, 34, the garden’s curator of plant collections, died in a rafting accident in Glenwood Canyon on Sunday 21st May.

Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire confirmed Tuesday morning to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent that Courtens was pronounced dead at the scene between Shoshone and Grizzly Creek in Glenwood Canyon after he fell from a raft and drowned.  A second person rescued survived.