Do you think that you are watering too much? OR, if you have a good layer of mulch over your new plantings, is your gentle mist even getting to the soil at all? (I've seen both things happen.) Deep watering with a hose might solve the problem if that is the case. Don't 'mist' every day. All plants do best when watered deeply but infrequently, especially when the temps are getting cooler.

Check the soil with your fingers and maybe even pull one of the plants up to investigate. These plants do very well when planted out when it is still quite warm, so that is not the problem. As long as they were healthy, thriving plants in the first place.....and not the overcrowded, sad little plants so often seen in the big box stores.

These are easy easy plants to grow, so it's time to be your own detective and figure out what you might be doing that's causing a problem. More often than not, the answer can be found by examining the soil.

Rhizo, you were absolutely right. I went home last night scraped away the mulch and the plants were bone dry. I gave them a good drink and thinned out the mulch. The violas perked up immediately. Hopefully the pansies will come around, too. Any other first aid tips? Many, many thanks for your help!

Always remember that a layer of mulch grabs on to a great deal of water. We all need to remember this. We have to water longer to make sure that water is getting through the mulch layer into the soil. We shouldn't avoid mulch, but just be aware of some simple practices. Again, water deeply, but infrequently.

If you know that you are going to get a serious freeze, water the pansies very well the day before. That will help fill those cells up with the 'anti-freeze' that these plants manufacture.

Sara,
If you have heavy clay soil (and you do if FW means fort worth), then you can't 'sprinkle'. I mean you can use sprinklers but when you water here, you have to water slowly, and for a long time. You want to soil to get wet to atleast 6" deep. With our clay soil, you will get runoff, so you may have to run the sprinklers for say 5 min each and then off and then cycle again until you get enough water. Then you won't have to water for a while-3 days to a week depending on temperature-feel the soil to decide when or get a moisture meter. I would put the layer of mulch back, just make sure you water thoroughly and deeply next time. You will find that mulch is critical here especially in the summer, or the soil cracks and gets ravines. I think it's tricky watering here. I prefer texas native cedar mulch I don't like cypress.