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by Allison Kelly*
Every year social media is flooded with images of beautiful flowers. Everyone wants to share the first tell-tale signs of each season with photographic evidence. Dainty white snowdrops, pretty pink cherry blossoms, huge pastel hydrangea blossoms, bright yellow sunflowers – they all get the lion’s share of online views. Like most amateur photographers, I love to take pictures of the best blooms throughout the year, but sometimes these flashy favorites have a poor showing because of extreme weather conditions. If it’s too cold, too hot, too dry, too wet, or too windy, the flowers sometimes fail to impress.
So, it’s important to have a dependable back-up subject, one that looks good in all conditions and seasons. Winter is a huge challenge for me to get nature photos. To go outside I need to use a power chair, a mode of transportation not made for snow or extreme cold. In February 2024 I was lucky to capture a photo of two ivy-wrapped trees right outside our kitchen windows; the dark green leaves clinging to the trunks created a striking contrast with the heavy white snow.
Ivy-covered walls and cottages are familiar sights in the English countryside, delighting tourists from all over the world. But here in suburban America, I believe this hardy plant doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Like a wall flower at a dance – or in this case, wall ivy – it is often overlooked in favor of flashier flora. But after getting that shot of the ivy in the snow, I realized that many of the nature photos I take on our property are better because of the ivy in them. It serves as a great background or a natural frame/border. A simple black lamppost flanked by two ivy-covered trees takes on the look of a formal portrait.
A pink flower protruding from the hanging basket by our kitchen door was the focus of a photo I took in September of 2024, but I also made sure to include the lush green ivy in the background.
Fall foliage always makes great pictures, and the yellow autumn leaves are enhanced by a dark green border. I was surprised to see some ivy leaves turn red in the winter – an unexpected splash of color in the muted brown/gray landscape.
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The low stone wall outside our kitchen is covered with ivy, hiding the entrance to our resident chipmunks’ warren of underground tunnels. I was pleased with the “hidden object” photo I got of Chip nestled in the ivy (only saw the coy critter because I spotted movement) one day when I was driving up the ramp with my power chair.
Ivy is a great backdrop, but it also shines when it gets its moment in the spotlight. When the sun hits the leaves just right, a close-up reveals the intricate heart shape and pattern of white veins. I love a particular photo I took in March 2024 of the ivy on our birch tree glowing in the winter sun.
So, the next time you find yourself impatiently waiting for a particular flower to bloom, look around and find some ivy to photograph. It definitely steals the show in winter. But keep in mind that these vines may only have a limited run. There is one creature that never overlooks the shiny green foliage, especially in the colder months: deer. Ivy is supposed to be deer-resistant, but I have several photos of “half-naked” tree trunks that prove otherwise!
Despite living almost her entire life with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Allison has always enjoyed the outdoors. Growing up on a family Christmas tree farm – she could literally go over the river (creek) and through the woods to her grandmother’s house – instilled a love of nature in her at an early age. As an adult she uses a mobility scooter or power chair to get up close to nature and take photos that she turns into note cards available for sale at Engage Arts Studio, 1005 Gravel Pike, Schwenksville,
The Collective, 10 S. Hanover Street, Pottstown, or at her online shop at www.noteworthynaturephotos.com.
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