Summer Beauty – enjoy while you can!

Posted on August 15, 2026 by jjspina

It seems as if summer is swiftly flying by. I stepped outside after dinner out with my hubby to snap these photos of all the beautiful flowering bushes in our yard. We now have over 20 Rose of Sharon Bushes in our yard and more sprouting up all the time! They are amazing and so beautiful!

I hope you enjoy my photos and that they cheer you if you need to be uplifted. I am thankful for all this beauty that God has given us this summer and every summer before and to come.

People slow down as they pass our house to gaze at the gorgeous blossoms that are sprouting out all over our 20 bushes! It is quite an amazing sight!

Close-up of a white flower with a deep pink center and petals, surrounded by green leaves and budding flowers.
Close-up of a pink hibiscus flower with a prominent red center, surrounded by green foliage and buds.
Close-up of pink hibiscus flowers with prominent red centers, surrounded by green foliage.
A close-up of a vibrant pink flower with red accents, surrounded by green foliage.
A lush green bush covered in white flowers with red centers, set against a backdrop of trees.
Two large flowering bushes with pink and white blooms beside a house featuring solar panels on the roof.
A green bush covered in pink flowers next to a house, with grass and fallen petals on the ground.
A flowering bush with white and pink blossoms surrounded by mulch and greenery.
A bush with tall green stems and large pink flowers growing alongside a house with gray siding and a window.
Flowering bush with large white and pink flowers against a house exterior under a blue sky.
A cluster of vibrant pink hibiscus flowers growing alongside a house, with a clear blue sky and clouds in the background.
A side view of a house with blooming pink flowers along the wall, surrounded by green foliage and a grassy area, under a partly cloudy sky.
Side view of a house with a satellite dish, surrounded by green bushes and flowers, under a partly cloudy sky.
A lush garden scene featuring green foliage, with a white flower visible among the leaves and a cluster of blue hydrangeas in the foreground.
A lush green bush covered with numerous white flowers featuring red centers, surrounded by foliage and trees.
A green lawn with a blue container and a red-and-white post marker in front of a flowering bush with white blooms.
Close-up of a large pink hibiscus flower with a textured petal surface, surrounded by green foliage.
Close-up of a large white flower with pink streaks at its center, surrounded by green foliage.
Close-up of a large pink hibiscus flower with deep red markings at the center, surrounded by green leaves.
Close-up of a pink hibiscus flower surrounded by green leaves.

We have two blossoms this year on our hydrangea. I hope the deer don’t eat them again. They have nibbled on them in the past. The blossoms must be tasty!

Close-up of a vibrant blue hydrangea flower cluster surrounded by green leaves.

Here are some roses, day lilies from our circle in front of our pod of houses.

A flowering hibiscus bush with large white and pink blossoms surrounded by green foliage and mulch.
Close-up of a bright yellow flower surrounded by green leaves, showcasing its textured petals and stamen.
Close-up of a vibrant pink rose flower surrounded by green leaves and garden mulch.
A landscaped garden bed featuring green grass, flowering plants, and brown mulch, with a house visible in the background.

John planted a Rose of Sharon bush in the center and this year it is flowering beautifully.

A landscaped area with flowering plants and green shrubs surrounded by mulch, under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

The rose bush above on the right keeps growing and spreading all across the circle. It looks like a wild rose bush because the leaves are different from any of the other bushes. You can’t see too many of the roses at this angle but there are many, but they are slowing down a bit at the moment. There is a red rose bush to the left that is showing off some of its flowers but the plant is a lot smaller and does not procreate and spread like the other one. Be careful of the thorns on the one on the right. It’s more deadly than the other one. I think I need to prune it a little at the end of the season.

We stopped at Mac’s Orchard for an ice cream, the first of the season for us. I snapped some photos of the pond where we sat to eat our cones. Ice cream was delicious! I had Death by Chocolate and John had Chocolate Chip. I want to go back before they close for the season to try Grapenut Custard.

Serene view of a calm pond surrounded by lush greenery and trees under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.
A clear blue sky with a few fluffy white clouds framed by green tree branches.
A tranquil riverside scene featuring tall trees and a clear blue sky, with a stone wall and large rocks along the water's edge.
A tranquil view of a river surrounded by lush greenery and trees under a partly cloudy blue sky.
A serene view of a river surrounded by lush green trees, with a rocky stone wall in the foreground under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

I also snapped some photos of a visitor today before we went out to dinner – a groundhog.

A small mammal, partially hidden in green grass, foraging for food.
A groundhog standing in a grassy field, focused on its surroundings.
A groundhog foraging in tall green grass.
A groundhog sitting in green grass with a chain link fence and leafy background.
A groundhog foraging in a patch of green grass on a sunny day.

Check out that cute face! He was a little skittish so I had to snap these quickly.

I love some of these photos and plan to use them for future book covers. These are all copyrighted here so no taking them please.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Unknown's avatar

About jjspina

Janice is a multi-award-winning author with 50 books: 23 children's books for PS-Gr 4, 12 middle-grade/preteen, four young adult books, all written by Janice Spina, and nine novels, and two short story collections written by J.E. Spina. She is also a writer of poetry, blogger, avid reader, reviewer, copy editor and supporter of her fellow authors. Janice has always loved writing and started young writing poetry, then stories. Her books have received 50 Book Awards and a few finalists awards, and many 5-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and on Amazon. All Janice's books are available on Amazon.com in paperback, eBook and audiobook formates, B&N and other online book sites. Her hobbies are crocheting, sewing, walking to keep fit, hula hooping, tap dancing, going to dinner with her husband, and spending time with family and friends. Janice loves to hear from readers and appreciates reviews. Sign up on her blog http://jemsbooks.blog for updates of her books. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband who is her illustrator and cover creator and two tanks of fish.
This entry was posted in Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon Bushes, roses, Summer flowers, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

9 Responses to Summer Beauty – enjoy while you can!

  1. gseddd2c31e1d4b's avatar gseddd2c31e1d4b says:
    August 15, 2026 at 6:23 pm

    Beautiful pictures of the flowers and the groundhog. thank you for sharing.
    Have a wonderful Sunday. we go to church now. Love

    Reply
  2. Annette Rochelle Aben's avatar Annette Rochelle Aben says:
    August 15, 2026 at 8:17 pm

    thank you for the smiles across the miles

    Reply
  3. mihrankalaydjianblog's avatar mihrankalaydjianblog says:
    August 16, 2026 at 1:46 am

    What a beautiful celebration of summer! 🌸 Your gorgeous flowers, peaceful garden, and adorable little groundhog are wonderful reminders to slow down and appreciate the beauty around us while the season lasts. Thank you for sharing these uplifting moments! ❤️

    Reply
    • jjspina's avatar jjspina says:
      August 16, 2026 at 10:20 am

      Thank you, Mihrank, for your kind words. I am pleased that the photos uplifted you. I agree. We should stop and appreciate all the beauty around us before it is gone. 😀

      Reply
  4. Jennie's avatar Jennie says:
    August 17, 2026 at 7:30 am

    Lovely.

    Reply

Leave a Reply