MySouthEnd.com - Local news and entertainment for Boston's Historic South End

Urban Living: Christensen gets back to roots with Urbgarden
by Andrew McFarland
MySouthEnd.com Contributor
Thursday Apr 12, 2012

After closing the doors to Revolution Fitness on Columbus Avenue last year, Derek Christensen had some soul-searching to do. Although the gym had grown into a popular community and recreational center since Christensen co-founded it in 2006, complications in renewing the building lease prematurely forced Revolution Fitness out of business.

Rather than opening another gym, Christensen decided to return to his roots, literally, in gardening and landscaping.

"I used to own a landscaping company," said Christensen. After finishing his service in the Marine Corps, Christensen landscaped throughout the North Shore. After five years, he left the landscaping business to work in the wellness field and start Revolution Fitness.

With his new landscaping company, Urbgarden, Christensen looks to reboot his landscaping career, but with a more urban and personal approach.

"There are a lot of gardens here in the city," said Christensen, who has lived in the South End for ten years.

Christensen plans to specialize in working with clients to design their gardens and then carry out the project.

After overseeing more than 30 employees and an entire facility at Fitness Revolution, Christensen is looking to keep it simple with Urbgarden.

"I’m the guy who will come out and meet with you," said Christensen, "I’m also the guy who comes out and does the job."

For city residents, a personal patch of green space, no matter how small, can be a personal retreat from the helter-skelter of urban living.

"I’m in their space, so I know it’s a personal thing," said Christensen.

While he has attracted three clients since beginning his business this winter, Christensen is looking to take on a major project in his front yard, so it were.

Over the past five years, the Rutland Square Association has been working to give some much-needed attention to the oval park between Columbus Avenue and Tremont Street. Christensen, who lives in Rutland Square, had been working with the neighborhood association to finally see the project through to fruition.

"We’re well on the way to making that happen," said Christensen, who explained that the neighborhood association has almost raised enough money for the project.