Any plants that have been overwintering in a pond in your area can be moved to your pond safely. So can hardy waterlily tubers. Just put them in so they don't accidentally freeze if you have a cold snap.

I still have ice on the edges of my pond but I can see the waterlilies on the bottom are starting to grow. Someone told me watercress is very cold tolerant too. Buy a hunk at the grocery store and toss it in!

Watercress! That never occured to me! Guess where I went after work yesterday; yep, that was me in the Marsh produce aisle haphazardly throwing bunches of watercress in a bag! It grows wild in my area, in the creeks - I think it might even be native. And if it was fine sitting on a bed of ice in the store, I would think it would survive my pond water until it can take root. I also went to the aquarium store and bought a couple bunches each of hornwort and anacharis for an experiment in water plant hardening. I'll put it in a 5 gallon bucket of aquarium - temperature water, then place the bucket on my back porch with a piece of bubble wrap over the top. It's supposed to be fairly mild the next few days. On Friday morning, I'll change part of the "house" water for pond water and sit the whole bucket in the pond. Hopefully, I can add the plants to the pond on Saturday (if it's nice) & not kill them. I'll let you know how it all works. My "friend":)seems reluctant to take the netting off of her pond and mess with the plants this early (some friend, huh - just kidding Barb!) so I thought I'd try this instead! Thanks for the suggestions, all. I am going to post some pictures of my pond-in-progress as soon as I read up on how to do so!