There are tall Astilbes, such as the A. x arendsii hybrids, which grow up to 4 feet tall, and dwarf Astilbes, such as A. x crispa 'Perkeo', which bears deep pink flowers and has a height and spread of only 8 inches. The majority of Astilbe, such as the perennially popular 'Rheinland' (which bears deep pink flowers), and 'Fanal' (which bears dark crimson flowers), grow about 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide.
In other words, there's an Astilbe to fit the dimensions and planting scheme of just about any garden. Many people swear by Hostas to fill those shady spaces. I don't have anything against Hostas, except that I get tired of the never-ending battle with slugs, who seem to find Hostas a delicacy they will crawl for miles for. Astilbes, on the other hand, are not on the slug favourites menu, and produce much larger and more colourful flowers than Hostas, too!
The curious thing about Astilbes is that they're not actually shade plants. It's just that they need particular soil conditions that we associate with shady garden sites, so the Astilbe is popularly known as a shade perennial. You can grow them in full sun, if the ground is right - boggy or humus rich and moist. If you had a pond, a pond- side planting would be ideal. To survive, Astilbes must have moist, rich soil. They will not tolerate poor soils or ground that dries out in summer. Their soil must be kept moist at all times. I know I'm repeating myself here, but the point needs to be emphasized. An Astilbe that's allowed to dry out in summer is a dead Astilbe.
Astilbes should be planted in spring or fall, in ground that's been enriched with plenty of compost or organic matter. As these beautiful perennials are heavy feeders, you'll need to fertilize them throughout the summer. Once the blooms have faded, whether you cut off the flower spires or not is up to you. Some people (like me) let them stand, as even when the flower spikes brown, they add an interesting accent to the winter garden. I clean up my Astilbes in the spring, before the new growth starts.
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