Question
I live in Wisconsin and have a hanging petunia pot in the entryway of my business.  The plant has been doing absolutely amazing all summer long.  I went out of town last weekend and asked my dad to water the petunia over while I was gone.  Apparently, he forgot and the poor thing didn't get anything to drink on Saturday or Sunday, both of which were terribly hot days.  Many of the leaves have turned totally brown and crispy and it just looks kind of limp and sad.  I have been trying to baby it and get it back to it's beautiful self.  Is this a possibility or is it a goner?  If it's possible, what can I do to help it out?

Answer
Kristin,
The best chance you have is to cut the dried stems back by about 1/2 to 2/3 and start watering again - then after five days of regular water, apply some liquid fertilizer a couple of hours after watering. (We should never fertilize a thirsty plant.)  If the plant has any life in it you should see new growth after about 10 days.  Go ahead and cut it back and see what happens - sometimes plants survive against all odds!  You might put it somewhere other than the entry way while it's in "rehab" however...

all the best,
C.L.