Beginner Gardening: Shrub Suggestions for a natural, woodsy backyard..., 1 by heybeans

heybeans wrote:
We just moved into a brand new house with an unfinished backyard. We just laid sod, but left some space along the back edge of the property for something. The property borders a gorgeous green belt that is very natural. We would like to add a few things that bloom and maybe a tree or two. I would love to get some suggestions. The area is mostly shady and we live in Seattle (zone 8, I think). I definitely want to keep it looking very natural. No perfectly pruned hedges for me!

Here is a photo taken from my kitchen. Not the best photo, but it was raining outside- go figure!

Thanks!