Enchanted Chicago
Where Chicagoland Becomes Enchanted
Enchanted Chicago is a community storytelling and stewardship initiative that identifies local heroes,
activates neighborhood spaces, teaches sustainability through hands-on experiences,
and creates pathways for community entrepreneurship.
Sidewalk gardens and alleyway gold
The Story of Smith Memorial Garden
Some treasures are hidden in plain sight. The Smith Memorial Garden began as a small patch of depleted ground after the removal of a mature tree. What many people saw as an empty space, we saw as an invitation.
Created in honor of Dorothy M. Smith, lovingly known as Memoe and Mimi, the garden became an experiment in restoration, remembrance, and possibility.
Seasoned logs were returned to the soil. Mushrooms quietly began their work beneath the surface. Native plants, pollinator flowers, herbs, and beneficial insects followed. What once appeared dormant slowly revealed itself as a thriving ecosystem.
Honoring Local Heroes
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes...
Who is your neighborhood wizard?
Not all heroes wear capes. Some grow quietly on fallen logs.
Meet Turkey Tail. Turkey tail mushrooms are one of nature's great recyclers. Found throughout Chicagoland forests, parks, and gardens, these colorful shelf mushrooms help transform dead wood into healthy soil, returning nutrients to the ecosystem and making new life possible.
At Smith Memorial Garden, mushrooms are part of the invisible workforce beneath our feet. They connect, decompose, restore, and renew. While pollinators often receive the spotlight, fungi are among the unsung heroes helping gardens thrive.
Share their story in two minutes. We celebrate and feature new neighborhood legends every month with public art installations.
