Photographs selected by Quentin Nardi

There are a lot of reasons to look forward to summer: beaches, warm weather, vacations, longer days. The list goes on and on, and so does the harvest of summer fruits and vegetables. Watermelon, strawberries and sweet corn are just a few seasonal crops that make the season that much more enjoyable. Whether you’re a vegetarian or like a fresh tomato slice on your hot-off-the-grill burger, these photos will whet your appetite for more summer fare. Take a look.
Watermelon Teens
Some consider watermelon the quintessential fruit of summer. Olesia Kim, Russia, 2021
Plate of Berries
Cherries, berries and more make for a healthy summertime snack. Ruslan Hajizada, Azerbaijan, 2019
Corn
Concealed in tall, green stalks, corn is a hidden gem, especially the sweet kind. Stacey Smith, Washington, 2020
rRpe Peaches
A basket is piled high with ripe peaches, perched above the other fruits, at a farmer’s market in Amsterdam. Ellen Miller, Netherlands, 2022
A baby cucumber
A baby cucumber—maybe a future pickle—makes a nest of a large, green leaf. Susan Azar, New Jersey, 2012
Blackberries
Can’t you just imagine the smell and taste of these sweet summer blackberries? Melanie Lokkesmoe, California, 2020
Colorful tomatoes
Colorful tomatoes boasting beautiful summer hues wait for buyers at a farmer’s market. Susan Keyloun, New York, 2012
4th of July Watermelon
Few things reflect summer like a juicy slice of fresh watermelon at the beach on July Fourth. Forrest Walker, New York, 2018
Eggplant
The distinct shape and color of an eggplant begin to form. Ying-Ting Chiu, Washington, D.C., 2022
Victorian-era painting
Like a scene from a Victorian-era painting, beautifully decorated glassware serves as vessels for a lovely bouquet and a variety of summer fruit. Suzette Floyed, United Kingdom, 2023
Carrots
A pile of beautiful carrots. Suezy Proctor, Seattle, Washington 2015
Fresh Strawberries
These fresh strawberries are ripe and ready for whatever comes next: becoming a jam, being churned into ice cream, stuffing pastries, filling a pie or maybe just being eaten in their natural state. Sabir Amin, Indiana, 2019
Corn Stalks
The United States produces more than ten billion bushels, upwards of 345 million tons, of corn each year. Neysa Camacho, New Jersey, 2019

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Tracy Scott Forson is a senior editor at Smithsonian magazine.