Even experienced gardeners learn something every day, and there's often a best way to tackle the simplest tasks!

Using shrubs in the garden is an easy way to achieve year-round interest with minimal maintenance, and we've gathered together some top tips to enable beginners and veterans alike to get the best out of their newly planted shrubs this season.

Autumn is traditionally the best time for planting - the ground is warm and moist, allowing some root growth to take place before the onset of cold weather, and preventing the need for watering.

Container-grown plants, which have been brought on in their pots, have well-established root systems and will settle in well from now until spring, provided the ground is not frozen.

When you visit the garden centre, think carefully before making your choice. When adding to an existing border, opt for contrasts of foliage colour, shape and size to compliment the shrubs you already have, introducing some gold leaves into a predominantly green scheme, for example. Red leaves, flowers or berries will 'warm up' a cold area of the garden, whereas blues and lilacs will 'cool down' a hot spot.

Staggering your visits every month or two, and choosing a shrub which is at its peak each time, will ensure that your garden provides year-round interest, although flowering times will probably be slightly later the following year, because garden centre plants are often 'brought on' a couple of weeks early.

You may feel that the garden needs a bold statement, in which case you can choose from the many 'architectural' shrubs, which look good on their own, as a focal point.

Fatsia japonica has bold, hand-shaped evergreen lleaves and copes with shade, and Phormiums have sword-shaped spikes which contrast well with softer round or feathery shapes in a sunny spot.

If your garden lacks interest in one particular season, choose a shrub which flowers at a different time of year, or go for value-for-money varieties with more than one season of interest, like the year-round evergreen Eleagnus ebbingii "Gilt Edge", or Fothergilla gardenii with spring flowers and autumn leaf colour.

Select prickly types for cat or burglar deterrence, and dense foliage for screening. Consider other qualities - does it produce winter berries, for example, or is it scented?

Look around the local area and make a note of varieties which are thriving, and ask for advice! Don't forget that quick-growing plants will need more maintenance later on, so if less work is your priority, opt for compact varieties.

You'll need 3 or 5 of some of the smaller shrubs - this will make more of an impact than including 5 different sorts.

Check that the shrub of your choice has compact, bushy growth - the biggest is not necessarily the best! There should be no signs of damage, disease or pests, and few, if any, weeds in the compost, which should be moist.

Look underneath the pot to make sure that the roots are not growing too strongly through the holes, an indication that it is 'potbound', making it harder for the plant to settle in to its new home.

Check your soil conditions and make sure that the shrub you choose will be able to cope. The ideal soil for most plants is a fertile, moist but freely-draining loam, which is a dark, crumbly soil full of organic matter.

Small holes dug in unprepared soil can act like a 'sump', creating a waterlogged area which most plants hate. To avoid this, dig a hole twice as big as your new shrub, and incorporate lots of compost into the soil which is put back beneath and around the plant, together with a small handful of slow-release chemical or organic fertilizer. This will improve the texture of the soil as well as increasing its fertility, and will enable the root system to establish quickly.

In wet soils, adding a few handfuls of horticultural grit also helps. Some shrubs tolerate shade, and some prefer a hot, sunny spot; some prefer a sheltered position, and others will cope with exposed situations - taking these factors into account will produce excellent results first time, so always read the label before you buy!

Soak new shrubs well before planting, whilst still in their containers, and tease out tightly-knit roots before placing in the prepared hole, making sure that the stem is buried to the same depth as it was in the pot. If the compost from the pot falls away from the roots as you lift it out, spread the roots in the hole so that they anchor the plant well as quickly as possible.

If you covered the area with a permeable membrane to prevent weeds, and intend to add a bark mulch, cut a cross in the membrane for each shrub, and raise the plant level slightly to compensate for the bark, which should be 5 - 7 cm deep. Firm in several times as you add the soil and compost mixture around the plant, and finish off by heeling in with your foot.

Standard (lollipop-shaped) specimens need a stake, which should be hammered into the hole before planting. Check planting distances on labels, and allow plenty of room for growth - a shrub with a final spread of 1 metre needs to be at least 50 cm away from a fence or its nearest neighbour!

Fill gaps in the meantime with annuals or perennials which can be removed later on, or which will provide low ground-cover beneath the shrub, suppressing weed growth.

Wall-trained shrubs such as Chaenomeles should be planted 20 - 30 cm from the wall and slanted towards the wall, to prevent the roots drying out near masonry.

Water well, and keep an eye on your new purchase over the coming months - check that wind hasn't rocked it loose, water in prolonged dry spells and keep free from weeds.

Make a note of the best time for pruning, if this is necessary, and monitor for pests and diseases. Now you've followed the instructions carefully, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the display offered by your new purchase in the months to come!