Southside Blooms Expands Operations in West Englewood with New Spring Flower Market

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/West Englewood · February 12, 2026

Southside Blooms, the innovative flower shop operating in West Englewood under Chicago Eco House, is launching a special spring flower market next week in celebration of their continued growth and community impact. The flower shop, which employs local youth to create arrangements from flowers grown on formerly vacant lots, has garnered significant attention recently, including support from Englewood native and former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose.

The market will showcase arrangements designed by the youth participants, who create floral centerpieces for weddings and local events. Unlike traditional job training programs that offer only short-term skills, Southside Blooms provides ongoing employment opportunities. "It's not just, you come in for 10 weeks, we give you some basic skills and then 'Hey, good luck finding a job,'" explains Quilen Blackwell, who co-founded the organization with his wife Hannah. "In our case, we are the job, we are the careers." The program aims to establish flower farming and design as an anchor industry in West Englewood, transforming abandoned vacant lots into productive flower farms that create long-term jobs for community youth.

Chicago Eco House has already converted five vacant lots into solar-powered flower farms throughout Chicago, with two owned by the organization and three others operated with permission from the city and county. The spring market will highlight how these projects have transformed West Englewood's abandoned spaces into pesticide-free gardens that attract wildlife and beautify the neighborhood. Currently, about 35 young people between ages 16 and 25 participate in the workforce development program, with plans to open a second Southside Blooms shop on Chicago's West Side as the nonprofit continues to grow. West Englewood residents are encouraged to visit the spring market on February 15th to support this community-building initiative and learn about volunteer opportunities.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/11/derrick-rose-will-partner-on-1901-project-7-billion-development-of-area-near-united-center/
2. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/31/us/chicago-englewood-southside-blooms-program/
3. https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/50626944/flowers-and-futures-bloom-in-chicago-as-sustainability-focused-nonprofit-helps-keep-youth-away-from-guns-and-gangs