What does his garden grow? Figs, apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peas, cabbages, beans, Italian peppers, pumpkins, corn, asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, butternut squash and red and yellow onions. Oh, and parsley, escarole, Swiss chard and basil.

The Providence Journal / John Freidah

CRANSTON –– It felt like 100 degrees on the recent afternoon Edward Ruggieri stood near a patch of field pumpkins and surveyed one of his favorite places in the world.

A shy smile played around his lips; his eyes glinted with pride.

And ignoring the mid-July heat, he gave a visitor a tour of the nearly one-acre garden behind his Rockwood Avenue home.

Dressed in khaki pants and a light gray shirt with tiny yellow pineapples printed all over, Ruggieri walked with an agility that belied his 92 years. Occasionally he pointed to some of his favorites –– a tomato plant with a single luscious fruit peeking through the leaves, an ancient pear tree that droops a little but has survived two tropical storms and still bears delicious fruit.

At the far end of the garden, he stopped by a clump of blueberry bushes and held a few berries in his hand.

“See ’em,’” he said, squinting up at his visitor, a mix of wonder and admiration in his voice. “They were pink last night.”

Founder of Ruggieri Bros. Inc, a floor-covering company, the Cranston resident has been tending the garden for more than 56 years, since the day he first moved into the house –– New Year’s Day 1952.

He grew up on farms in Rhode Island and has been gardening for 86 years, since the time when horses were used to plough fields.

These days his garden is mostly green –– the occasional red here, a dash of yellow or blue there –– with leaves of all shapes, sizes and shades.

During the tour, Ruggieri didn’t talk very much. His hard work spoke for him instead.

There were tomato plants, fig, apple, pear and cherry trees and raspberry and blueberry bushes. Also peas, cabbages, beans, Italian peppers, pumpkins, corn, asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, butternut squash and red and yellow onions. Next to the greenhouse were the greens –– parsley, escarole, Swiss chard and basil.

He plucked a basil leaf and rubbed it on his arm to smell the aroma. Fresh and delicious.

“When this is your backyard you don’t go to the supermarket,” said Melissa A. Ricci, wife of Ruggieri’s grandson, Nick.

Nick and Melissa live next door and often lend Ruggieri a hand in the garden. Nick said he tills, but not much more. Ruggieri is the one who works the most, the longest and the hardest –– planting the seeds, watering, weeding and pruning.

“Papa taught us everything,” Melissa said. “I know more about different vegetables than ever.”

Last year, Ruggieri signed over most of the garden to Nick, retaining just the slanted pear tree, the greenhouse and a patch of land surrounding it, on which he grows his tomatoes, peppers and greens.

He said he enjoys seeing the younger generation take over, and as long as they keep up the hard work, he is satisfied.

He still likes showing off the garden but, perhaps more than that, he likes to share its gifts with his family and friends.

Marlene A. Burke, 76, and her husband, Charlie, 78, of Cumberland have known the Ruggieris for about 15 years. And every time the Burkes visit the Ruggieri house, there are baskets of freshly picked fruits and vegetables waiting for them.

“[Edward] is a bundle of energy and we all wish we could be like him,” Marlene said. “We don’t have the energy and the stamina that he has.”

After the tour, Ruggieri sat down in the shade at a table in his backyard. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead but there wasn’t a trace of exhaustion on his face. His wife, Bellardina, 83, served one of her specialties –– zucchini flowers fried in an egg batter –– a delicacy often served in Italian restaurants.

But for Ruggieri, nothing matches the homegrown, homemade flavor.

“My wife loves sweet corn,” he said as he ate. “She buys it. It comes from Florida … when you buy it you eat it two weeks late.”

“No taste,” he added softly, dismissively.

Then he went on, “She buys tomatoes for the color … Ahhh … tasteless.”

Age has taken a slight toll on Ruggieri’s ability to work in the garden every day. These days he concentrates more on his floor-covering business, going to his office every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

But the weekends are still reserved for gardening. He will be 93 in November. He has three children, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He doesn’t plan to retire –– from his business or from his garden –– anytime soon.

“I’ve been doin’ it for 60 years,” he said.

“We keep the neighbors happy, we keep our families happy. Why quit now?”

njayakri@projo.com