Like eager kids, talking about spring can’t wait any longer. The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway’s Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens site located near the Administrative Building at the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Crosslake Campground is bursting with a litany of good, fun news.  

    •    The Master Gardener Program through the University of Minnesota approved the Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens (LUMG) as a work site for local master gardener, Brenda Brittan, who will continue the work she started here late last fall, including refreshing and some redesigning of existing garden plots. 2025 will include a focus on plant selection and garden bed location for a re-imagined rain garden. LUMG maintenance is sponsored in part by Crosslake/Ideal Lions and Ulland Brothers Construction.
    •    Clever ‘teaching tales’ and USACE history snippets with touch-access will appear on a new outdoor grade solar-powered panel designed by Drumminhands, a Minnesota company specializing in this kind of work. The panel will be installed at the entrance to the Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens near the Lions Club drinking fountain. Sponsors include First National Bank, Crosslake; Crow Wing Power; Ulland Brothers Construction and Richard Ulland of Lake City, MN.
    •    Discover, or re-discover, the leaf-shaped outdoor classroom patio, interpretive gardens and displays.  Knowledgeable volunteers are always welcome to use this great place to share their expertise on the natural world and its diverse inhabitants. Interested in hosting an event or using the outdoor classroom area? Contact the Crosslake Recreation Area staff for more information Cross.Lake@usace.army.mil.
    •    Enjoy the nostalgia imparted by the pergola with a swing. Installed in fall, 2024, on the north side of the LUMG in the space once occupied by an RV dump station, the pergola area transformation will include greenspace, landscaping with native perennials and annuals, and new sidewalks. This area will also feature a new bird-themed bicycle rack and a water bottle filling station.
    •    Just north of the pergola, the new playground construction plans continue the nature-theme, with a pour-in-place pad scheduled for installation as soon as ground conditions permit. A new sidewalk has already been installed, providing a safe, smooth path from the playground to the Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens.
    •    Babe, the Blue Ox, has temporarily left for repairs. Due to many days out in the sun, uncountable numbers of kids posing for photos on his burly back, and a hailstorm in June, 2024, his famous blue was fading a bit and evidence of being caught out in tough weather was showing. Babe’s creator, Josh Porter of Avalon Studios, has brought Babe in for a good ol’ refresh and renewal. Babe will reappear by April 20, 2025, as his new ‘old self’ in his same location between the LUMG and the new playground.

For more information on the Linda Ulland Memorial Gardens, see us on Facebook or visit https://paulbunyanscenicbyway.org/sites/default/files/LUMG_brochure_2024...