Sometimes you can't bring all of your potted plants inside for the winter. Many endemic plants, meaning they grow naturally in your region, need to experience the seasons for themselves. Perhaps dormancy is required for new growth on some, or others need to be cold stratified to produce fruit.
Whatever the reason, they stay out in the cold. However, being in pots puts their roots at more risk to cold than if they were in the ground. The plant can be adapted to the cold, but the roots are used to being in the somewhat insulated dirt.
The easiest way to ensure a safe winter is to mulch around the pot. You've probably seen tree nurseries bury their pots in mulch above grade. This works great if you have the mulch!
What I like to do is to is stick my pots in the ground where I'm building a new raised bed. I often use yard waste in the fall to prep my spring beds, and this ends up being a great spot to stash my pots for the spring as well!
Below are a few pics of pots I have in one of my new beds. I have an outdoor bonsai Cyprus, several sapling maples and birch trees, raspberry propagations, and strawberries I didn't get into the ground yet. This is also a good option for late-season clearance shrubs from DIY centers that you can't get planted on time, as well as your potted herbs!
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