Can I bring my flowers back to life?

Question

I have hanging petunias outside and my boyfriend failed to water them last month when I was out of town for over a week. I've been letting them get sun and water, but both look half dead. Any way I can get them fuller? Thanks!

Answer 1

I would leave your boyfriend, first off. He's almost killed your plants! This means he really has no respect for who you are inside. That's not a healthy relationship.

On the matter of the plants, I would take those plants to a botanist immediately. They can sometimes do things to resuscitate plants, even dead ones.

ADDENDUM

I think you might be in denial about this. His behaviour in not watering your plants was typical passive-aggressive (Source: American Journal of Psychology, June 1996).

People have to realize that this is exactly where abuse starts - with little passive-aggressive things like letting flowers die.  This type of abuse only gets worse. It is subtle. He will convince you that it's ridiculous to think of it as abuse, and that's it's all in your head (well, it looks like you already are convinced anyways).

Yours seems like an interesting psychological phenomenon just like Stockholm syndrome, wherein a victim begins falling in love with and protecting her captor, no matter how badly her captor (in that case, kidnapper), treats her.

Answer 2

Cut them back and keep them watered.  

Answer 3

If you live somewhere that the growing season will be continuing for awhile, you can cut them back hard, and they will return.  However if you are where frost will be coming in a month or so, I am afraid there is not enough time left for them to recover from a haircut.

Answer 4

maybe??

Answer 5

It's too late for them to recover if you are NOT in Fla. or south Texas which have year round growing seasons.  Chalk it up to a lesson well learned.