Sunnyside Mall

Each year, Alderman Shiller organizes an annual planting day at Sunnyside Mall.  Read more...  

Ginkgo Organic Gardens

Ginkgo Organic Gardens is a community garden located at 4057 N. Kenmore. It was founded in 1994 by community gardeners.

Master gardeners with the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service helped start the garden and have been very active with maintenance of it. Start-up funding came from the Community Development grants that were distributed through the Green-Corps Chicago Program. The garden grows vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers.

 "The garden is so beautiful. Everything is used for something there. Nothing is wasted," said Lily Rodriguez after visiting the garden last fall. "The day that I had the opportunity to visit the garden, there was so much to look. The smell was so rich that I forgot I was in the middle of the city. There was a compost demonstration going on that day where people from the community were being trained how to turn yard waste into beneficial nutrients for their own gardens."

The park has perennial beds as well as raised beds for herbs and vegetables. There are tire planters tended by children who are learning about horticulture, Methley Plum and Bartlett Pear trees, demonstration beds, a tool shed, and a patio shaded by Silver Maples where they have monthly pot-luck lunches.

The produce from Ginkgo Organic Gardens is used to provide food for the homeless in Uptown. The food is donated to Inspiration Café, a restaurant for homeless persons in Uptown, and Open Hand Chicago's Groceryland, a food pantry for people with AIDS.

Sunshine Garden

Located across the street from 4550 N Clarendon, Sunshine Garden is the result of a collaboration between Alderman Shiller, neighborhood residents, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Chicago Park District.  

Alderman Shiller facilitated discussions between City departments and the Chicago Park District to make the land available for this project.  Lighting and benches were paid for through Alderman Shiller's Menu funds, and concrete and other supplies were donated by area residents. 

Children from the neighborhood picked the name Sunshine Garden, planted flowers, and now water and maintain the garden.  Our thanks to Eliza Fornier from the Chicago Botanic Garden for her expert assistance and support.   

NeighborSpace garden on Winthrop

Plans are in the works for a new garden on the 4600 block of North Winthrop.  The land is currently in acquisition through the NeighborSpace program.  At the request of neighborhood residents who wanted open greenspace on their block, Alderman Shiller continues to work to make this vision a reality.