"Well, at least you can say you tried."

That's the kind of encouragement I've found while researching how to grow celery.

Definitely an atypical vegetable for growing in Iowa gardens, a friend gave me the plant as a gift. She's an adventurous gardener who always has something new and unusual in her vegetable patch. Having successfully grown celery, she told me "it's fun. They look great in the garden and you can go out and cut a stalk and another will grow in its place."

She neglected to mention the part about "it's one of the most difficult and demanding vegetables to grow" and "it's a challenging vegetable for the home gardener," and other discouraging comments at gardening Web sites. Tricky, but it's worth trying - and what's the worst that can happen? Either it will thrive or die.

The bedding plant has frilly leaves and pencil-thin stalks, with a faint but distinctive, almost nutty celery aroma. Celery needs at least 6 hours of sun and afternoon shade. They don't like hot weather. Another challenge is the length of time to maturity - 130 to 140 days, according to the National Gardening Association, and the plant's nearly unquenchable thirst. "Shut off the water supply even for a short time … and you're in trouble," advises the NGA. They also require rich organic matter in the soil for nutrients.

Celery originated in the Mediterranean, cultivated as early as 850 B.C. Seeds were used to treat various ailments, such as arthritis and poor digestion. The Greeks considered it a holy plant, while the Romans used celery in cooking. The Food Reference Web site reports the Italians domesticated celery as a vegetable in the 17th century, although World Book claims it was first cultivated in France. In the United States, celery is commercially grown in California, Florida, Texas, Michigan and Ohio. The average American munches 9 to 10 pounds per person (with and without peanut butter).

Here's what else I learned:

Celery roots usually stretch just 6 to 8 inches away from the plant and 2 to 3 inches deep, so topsoil has to provide the moisture and nutrients the plant needs.

Mix fertilizer (5-10-10) into soil before transplanting. Remove a few outer leaves to help the plant recover from transplant shock.

Space 8 inches apart and deeper than in pot. Mulch after plant is about 6 inches tall to conserve moisture and discourage weeds.

Sidedress 5-10-10 or manure tea in second and third month of growth.

Water religiously.

Harvest large outer stalks as need; the center will keep producing stalks.