Have had our hostas in the ground 4 years now and have never dug them up. They come back beautifully every year.
Here is a photo from end of June.

Hi JB,

Most hostas are hardy to zone 3, so yours should be just fine outside in the ground without being mulched, but they will be one of the very last things to come up in spring, so donÂt start worrying that they didnÂt make it when everything else starts to grow againÂjust sit back and wait for them. TheyÂll also be one of the first things to freeze, just as a warning! If you just put them in this spring/summer, with a couple years to grow and develop they should be just beautiful. If youÂve been trying them for several years and not having any luck, if theyÂre being planted in heavy clay, next time you plant some, add a substantial amount of organic matter (good quality compost or moist Canadian peat) to the soil in the area where youÂre planting them. That will help hold moisture and nutrients, and hostas usually appreciate a lighter soil.

Skybird

P.S. Kath, that looks like the sunny side of the house! Are yours doing that well in the sun? They look great!

JillyBillyG, thou shalt not dig thy hostas, nay shall thou mulch thy hostas to excess. Verily I say, thine hostas shall surely abide the winter if only ye shall have faith. If the winter days be dry as the desert, thou mayest deign to water thy garden soil on a warm day; in this way you may prove thine faith that Spring shall one day return.

Skybird,
it is actually the north side of the house but it does get some morning sun in the spring/ summer. I do have some that get full, direct sun and they do pretty well. They get a little raggedy during the intense heat of July/ August but they still fair pretty well.

Kath