My father, the Greenthumb (mother oso laa)

I have always remembered home as somewhere green. It has always been green with plants my father planted together with the tender care of my mom. Before the front yard was covered with tiles, it was a garden, with pokok buah 'amra', starfruit, ciku, and not to mention the flowers. Even my wife remembers the my home as the house with "banyak pokok-pokok". That was the front. Meanwhile at the back, he planted guava, tomatoes, some greens and stuff. That was then.
Now, the front yard is limited to flowers. The back? After the extension of the kitchen, a little space is left for gardening. Most of it moved to the side where he now plants tomatoes, ladyfinger, eggplant and chilli.
BUT, there's a huge but there. The whole yard behind our home, which belongs to the municipal council (I guess) is brimmed full of his handiwork. Pisang tanduk, pisang apatahlagi, ubi kayu, ciku, betik, and not mention my pokok kelapa. I insisted the kelapa because the shade it can give him while busy gardening..hehe. It is a big kelapa tree, not the gading ones.
Anyway, me in Melaka found out a place selling this hydroponic thingy where you plant veggies without the use of soil. My dad used to plant his with the same technique until the company which make the fertilizers suddenly went missing (or should i say gulung tikar?) So now the hydroponic housing (which is a two tiered rack with cover) becomes the two-storey bungalow for my cats. I mentioned to him that I found out this hydroponic thingy here and mom was ecstatic. They ordered 8 sets for me to buy. That's how ecstatic they are. Eight! Well I guess, it's good as well, they can eat the crops and money will be saved a little.
Enjoy gardening!
p/s: my cherry tomatoes are blossoming!