When I first embarked on my gardening journey 17 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. Although I was an experienced florist, I was a novice gardener and didn't even realize the differences between sun and shade gardening. I began to recognize the intricacies of gardening in the shade when I discovered that my newly acquired property was visited by no more than an hour of direct, late-afternoon sunlight each day. Of the numerous trees that existed, I chose to keep a tall spruce (Picea sp., USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8) and giant yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Zones 4-7). The rest came down to reveal a sensational borrowed view of forest interior at the edge of my garden. Looking back, it was probably good that I was inexperienced. With no biases, I jumped in with both feet and embraced experimentation.
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