Quilen Blackwell, founder of Chicago Eco House, stands inside Southside Blooms, the retail floral arm of the non-profit Eco House. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Rashod Little admits that he got some grief from friends 18 months ago when he first told them he was working at a flower shop.

“They were like ‘That’s crazy. Why would you want to do that?’’’ said the 17-year-old who will be a senior at Excel Academy of Englewood.

Little now has others coming to him, asking that he connect them with leaders at Southside Blooms, a nonprofit floral company.

“It is a peaceful environment,” Little said of his work space. “They treat me like family. I like being here.”

Southside Blooms is the retail arm of Chicago Eco House, an organization focused on urban agriculture to spur bottom-up economic development in the inner city.

Quilen Blackwell created Chicago Eco House in 2014 as an extension of his mission work. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, Blackwell enrolled in ministry school and was performing community service by tutoring at a high school in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

Rashod Little creates a floral arrangement at Southside Blooms. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

He saw blight and vacant buildings and knew he had to do something to help.

“My mission work was in sustainability,” Blackwell said. “I knew I had a role to play in bringing a positive impact to the area.”

Trying to decide on a business idea for the area, Blackwell came up with flowers.

“Why can’t flowers be the thing for the inner city?” Blackwell thought.

After doing some research, he was convinced it was the right move.

“Eighty percent of flowers in the United States come from overseas. It is a $3.5 billion a year industry,” Blackwell said. “You look at food and there is Big Agriculture. The flower market is wide open. There is no big industry.”

Armani Hopkins wraps a candle for shipping while working at Southside Blooms. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Eco House has turned vacant lots into four flower farms in Chicago — in the Englewood, Woodlawn, West Garfield Park and Washington Park neighborhoods — and one in Detroit.

Blackwell is an idea man and smiles when his flower-arranging skills are mentioned.

“I can’t make a bouquet or centerpiece,” he laughed. “I am just a business guy.”

Between Eco House and Southside Blooms, Blackwell employs about 30 young South Side residents between the ages of 16 and 27. Along with teaching the young people employment skills, it also helps expand their horizons and gets them into venues they may not ordinarily visit.

Blackwell noted that Southside Blooms services the entire Chicago area, going as far north as Waukegan and west to Naperville.

“We have done a lot of Downtown weddings and corporate events,” he noted.

Blackwell said the non-profit tries to use as much of its homegrown products as possible, but does supplement its offerings through a wholesaler, based on what the customer wants.

Workers put floral arrangements together inside Southside Blooms. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

The Eco House founder has visions of taking the business model to other inner cities and creating the same opportunities there, providing opportunities but not at the expense of quality arrangements.

“We have to be better than our competition,” Blackwell said.

Armani Hopkins has been working at Southside Blooms for almost two years.

“I like the culture and environment,” she said. “It is a very fun place to work.”

Hopkins said seeing her finished work at venues is rewarding.

“I see the flowers and I’m like ‘I put those up there,’” she said.

Southside Blooms’ creations can be seen at southsideblooms.com