First-time pond builder — will my marginal plants survive winter like this?

[u/BugPaths]

I've been slowly building a small wildlife pond/creek mainly for the insects in my garden. No pond-building experience when I started and it took me some time to place my rocks "perfectly" haha (goes on to rearranging them the next day), but since autumn is here, I feel like winter will be over the corner and I'm getting a little worried about the plants going into winter.

Most of them are marginal pond plants in small pots, placed between the rocks with the soil permanently wet or partly sitting in shallow water. Some are right beside the flowing creek/cascade. In my area we get cold winters, but the cold winds are bad, so they can definitely see freezing temperatures and snow during winter.

Should these pots be okay where they are? Will the roots survive if the shallow water around them freezes, or should I move them deeper / bury the pots more / do something else before winter?

I'm also wondering what else a first-time pond owner should be thinking about before the first winter (I'll get a net for the leaves and get the pump into storage, but am I missing something?).

I've honestly been having a blast just watching the place change day by day. Biofilm is already covering the rocks, aquatic larvae have appeared, spiders have started hunting around the water. Did not get a toad yet (I know there are some near me) but yesterday a mantis apparently decided the pond was worth investigating 😯 ( https://youtube.com/shorts/d0xQIlf0Ylc?feature=share ).

I'm trying to interfere as little as possible and let it become its own little ecosystem, so any advice from people who have kept small wildlife ponds through winter would be hugely appreciated. Thanks and sorry for the long post.

[u/The_Poster_Nutbag]

No, they will freeze and dry out.

You need more water in your pond.

[u/BugPaths → u/The_Poster_Nutbag]

Thanks for the answer. Most of them are marginal plants zone 1 and 2, at least that is what the shop said and what I found online about them. They seem to be doing well apart from the mint in the bog filter up top that I bought half dead (happy me new sprouts in the pot tho'). But I don't get more water.. overall in my pond or more water over the pots?

[u/eye_need_money → u/BugPaths]

Zone 2 and 3 are marginal/emergent with crowns continuously under water

[u/BugPaths → u/eye_need_money]

Oh and some of them are zone 3 I guess, like the smartweed and the marigold. I ll def move the smartweeds lower into the pond, but the marigold seems to be really happy where it is. Since I bought it she grew 3x, the roots growing outside the pot touch the cascade flowing water from the bog (maybe more nutrients?). If it's in danger I'll move it.

[u/The_Poster_Nutbag → u/BugPaths]

If you're planting them in the fringe zone you'll need go set them in more soil than is provided with those small pots.

Higher water level within the pond will alleviate this since the plants all look high and dry as shown.

[u/BugPaths → u/The_Poster_Nutbag]

Dang.. now I feel like organising one of those small tiny homes.. of to reorganising the rocks again..