Now you may want to ask if I went out and planted anything last week and I didn't. I moved some smaller seedlings into larger containers in the greenhouse but with the weather reports looking soggier and soggier--I flinched and . . . didn't plant. I feared everything would get washed out. (I think that would have been true.)  I was afraid too many things would have gotten waterlogged, moldy, mildewed and definitely been cold, perhaps too cold and hail damaged to boot. No growth, at the very least. Loss, of course. So most of the plants stayed safe and warm and are now better prepared. (I had written that peas and beans were in--peas are fine, beans got eaten to the ground before the rain!)

Every gardener needs to be prepared for loss, and aware that the weather is never perfect for every gardener or farmer but usually beneficial for some. Many plants will flourish but some die -- we won't know the reason often, don't despair. No, you probably don't have a black thumb. Some plants live, some plants die. Pay attention to weather reports, read directions, water needs, light requirements and enjoy your garden.