To be able to step outside to your garden and pick the evening meal’s salad is a wonderful fantasy — and a frugal one, too. But not every budget-conscious person can make a garden grow and save money. Meg Favreau of WiseBread.com says that if you can’t keep your own room clean, most likely, you won’t be able to take care of a garden. Just go grocery shopping.

But for those of who can maintain a clean living space, Meg suggests starting with a small garden, preferably one you can just keep in pots. Herbs such as chives and basil are particularly hardy and easy to grow. And if you want to make the leap to vegetables, vine plants like zucchinis and cucumbers are great options. After all, there’s always that one person at work who is desperately trying to unload their zukes and cukes all summer. Meg shares a recipe for garden-fresh chilled cucumber soup to help you use up that produce.

For more, click on the play button on the audio player above.