we like starting some of our plants in pots to get them strong before we put them in the ground. we divided up a hostas that had been in a tub for several years... and had outgrown it's space. It looked horrible, it was terribly rootbound. we got it divided into six smaller sections and put them in the ground. hopefully they start perking back up. they seem to be. 6 from one isn't bad tho. we just decided they didn't really need to be in a pot anymore so they could spread.