Diane Elmer, right, likes to relax with her granddaughter Ariana at the end of the day by lounging on the porch swing of her East Chestnut Street home. Elmer keeps the fresh flowers seasonal through November and adorns her porch ceiling with silk blooms. Photo Curtesy Lancaster Newspapers "People come by and yell, 'I love your house, I love your house!' " she said. "They even bring people by to see it."
Not only do neighbors enjoy it, she said, it also sets an example for others about the value of taking care of your property.
At Christmas, Roane uses purples, reds and golds to decorate. At Easter, the porch is full of lilies and the pine tree is decorated with yellow flowers and little plastic-covered Easter eggs.
Last fall, when Roane didn't have time to decorate her porch, her neighbors did it for her. She came out on her porch one morning and found straw bales, corn and other fall decorations.
"It's becoming like a neighborhood kind of thing," Roane said.
Marianne Stoltzfus, who has been a confessed "lover of front porches" since childhood, turned her front porch into an extension of her home, which doubles as My Secret Garden Bed and Breakfast.
Lavender and lace curtains border the Stoltzfus's porch on West Chestnut Street, creating a sense of privacy for guests or for herself and her family. The curtains allow guests to see out but provide some privacy for them and some protection for her plants.
"I wanted to provide a place where people can sit and relax," Stoltzfus said. She has wicker chairs and a round table on the porch.
Elmer said she was the first person on her block to start putting flowers on her porch when she moved there 13 years ago. Neighbors advised her not to go to all that effort because "the kids" would destroy it.
Elmer decided to take a chance anyway and put out flower boxes and the American and Marine flags. She did have to place the flags out of reach because of vandalism, but she has had no trouble with her flowers.
She keeps fresh flowers growing on her porch until November, replacing the annuals to match the temperatures, she said. Even in the winter, she changes the silk flowers in the lattice to holly and berries. Her attic, she said, is like a floral shop.
Attractive front porches make a big difference in how people perceive the city, Elmer said.
"I think if everybody put one plant out on the porch, the city would look a lot more friendly and a lot more welcoming."
