Garden Tools: tips, resources and reviews for gardeners

• Hostas by Rosemary Barrett (Firefly Books, $24.95) is a new book (Feb. 2004) with an emphasis on landscaping with hostas and the best companion plants. Color photographs by Derek Hughes will whet your appetite.
• The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zilis (Q & Z Nursery, $34.95) describes, in detail, 278 hostas, with over 1,000 receiving mention. Most entries have a color photo. This database-like book also gives cultural requirements and a problem-solving guide.
• The Gardener's Guide to Growing Hostas by Diana Grenfell (Timber Press, $19.95) reveals everything a gardener needs to know about growing hostas well, including how to propagate. There is a chapter on the best hostas which groups the plants into categories such as 'sun-tolerant', 'blue leaves', and 'fragrant flowers'.

• SmartGrow is a circular woven mat made from hair fiber designed to go into the bottom of a container. The mat acts like a sponge by absorbing water and then releasing the water back to the plant as needed, reducing the amount of watering necessary. The mat comes in three sizes or as a roll for custom sizes. www.smartgrow.us
• MegaGrow promises to make your plants grow bigger and faster by harnessing the power of gibberellic acid, a naturally occurring plant hormone that regulates growth. www.megagrow.com
• Employ, a reformulation of the previously-available product Messenger, acts as a plant immunity booster stimulating the plant's natural defenses. The active ingredient is a protein extracted from harmful plant bacteria. When the protein is sprayed on plants, the plant reacts as if it is under attack from disease and mounts a defense. This translates into better growth and stress-resistance. Endorsed by the American Rose Society, spraying the non-toxic Employ may become another chore, like spreading mulch, that helps plants grow better. www.gardenthings.com

New gardeners often focus on flowers and color in their first design effort, only to feel less than satisfied with the floral results. Experts advise us to think about plant form and leaf texture for a design that works no matter what the season. Two books demystify the "designing with foliage" concept:

Dramatic Effect with Architectural Plants by Noel Kingsbury (Overlook Press, $35.00)
The occasional black-and white-photos reinforce the lesson that architectural plants look good without distracting color. Kingsbury explains how shapes are used in the garden and how this design concept works for all garden styles from the Japanese look to Southwest themes. The last section of the book is a mini encyclopedia detailing all the suggested plants.

Foliage: Dramatic and Subtle Leaves for the Garden by David Joyce (Trafalgar Square, $35.00)
Joyce goes farther with classifying types of foliage shapes with poetic descriptions like, 'Needles and Threads' and 'Eggs and Spoons'. A concise list of trees, shrubs, perennials and edibles is provided for each foliage shape. The color photos show off the plants in isolation so readers can focus on the shape and texture.