The firm for which I design gardens in NYC, Holly, Wood and Vine, recently discovered that Mr Osborn's new website relies heavily on images of gardens that our firm designed, installed and currenly maintains. In fact more than half of its garden images are of our gardens. He worked for us for a while as a gardener about two years ago and had access to these gardens.
I would check his credentials out a little more carefully before haveing a third party profile him in glowing terms as a reputable landscape practitioner.
I do not know whether the gardens pictured above (also from his website) are actually designed by Mr Osborne or not, but based on our experience, some inquiry would be worthwhile.
For interest: The so-called "Dutch" garden influence pictured above is an image of Buchart Gardens outside Victoria in British Columbia, designed and planted in an empty limestone quarry by a Canadian. If anything, its influence is Italian.

And native plants? Since when is lavender native???

Posted by: Marie Viljoen at August 13, 2008 11:25 AM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 17

To the orginal July 10th Poster with the backyard, if you still need help, Holly, Wood and Vine (www.hwandv.com), may be able to help. You don't say if you need any plantings? We are based in Manhattan, though, not that that's a problem (I hope!).

Very small companies probably can't handle the labor/construction part of the job easily - possibly that is why some have not responded. Did you give them a budget to work within, or do you need an idea of what it will all run to?

Despite the slowdown economically our firm has been about three times as busy as we were last year. Can't explain it. Puzzling but good.

Give us a call if you'd just like some info, too.

Posted by: Marie Viljoen at July 29, 2008 3:45 PM in response to Impossible to Find Landscape Contractor