I do have some basic knowledge of what to plant and where based on the environments I want to garden in, but I am currently in a revision of what to plant where. I know I am still building my soil in what I thought would be my only "veggie" garden space. I chose this space knowing you can't change factors like wind and sun exposure in an area, but you can change the soil over time with amendments and methods like broadforking. What I have learned though, is that the microclimate in the "veggie patch" can change from year to year. The space is sometimes not hot enough for nightshades, and yet too hot for some brassicas. So, I had to add a layer to my thought process that involves adding shade cloth to the brassica bed and moving the nightshades to an EVEN BETTER hot zone behind my house that is protected from the wind and gets heat reflection from my paved driveway. The important thing I have learned is that the garden is never going to be "done". That veggie patch was only that way for THAT growing season, and there's likely a better way to do it next year. Because I have so much space to work with and many trees and buildings, there are a LOT of microclimates to choose from, so it will always evolve.
I can relate to your comments on microclimates in the garden. I tried to grow my tomatoes in 2 different areas this summer. One was full sun and the other ended up getting shaded by the pole beans. It was huge in the way the plants differed from one "climate" to the other.
I love the acknowledgement that your garden is never going to be "done". I find that is part of the charm of gardening. We are ever altering what and how we do in our gardens in response to how the elements of nature are doing their own changing.