A jockey, looking very much like a fox, rides a topiary horse that is jumping a steeplechase fence.
Variegated vinca vines spill from window boxes stuffed with "White Christmas" caladium and pink impatiens on the early-19th century Colonial Revival house.
Canaries, wild birds and trickling fountains sing: "Rest and enjoy."
It's easy to leave cares at the gate and stop to smell the roses — and much more — at Conestoga House and Gardens, 1608 Marietta Ave.
The estate, once owned by the late Lancaster Newspapers publisher Col. James Hale Steinman, and his wife, Louise Tinsley Steinman, has earned special recognition from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Lawrence Wettig, estate manager and superintendent, will accept a 2008 Community Greening Award from the PHS on behalf of Conestoga House and the Steinman family at a ceremony to be held Sunday, Nov. 2, in Philadelphia.
The award recognizes individuals, garden clubs, civic associations and others who create and maintain public green spaces to enhance the community.
PHS is a nonprofit organization with 13,000 members in 48 states. It's best known for producing the world-class annual Philadelphia Flower Show.
The 101 gardens nominated for the award were not in competition with one another; each was evaluated on its own merits to determine if it deserved recognition. Conestoga House was one of 76 to receive the award.
Education is part of the Conestoga House mission, and a factor in earning the horticultural society's recognition.
"The staff is very knowledgeable of the plants and their care, but also know the history of the buildings and the grounds and are eager to share that know- ledge. ... ," said Flossie Narducci, education activities manager for PHS.
On self-guided tours, visitors to Conestoga House and Gardens can identify plants by their markers. A movie and guided tours provide a wealth of property history and plant information.
The James Hale Steinman Conestoga House Foundation maintains the property for public enjoyment.
David Kantner, a staff horticulturalist at Conestoga House, nominated the estate for the PHS award.
"When the nomination form came in the mail, I thought long and hard about it, about who in the area does the most to promote horticulture," he said. "Larry [Wettig] came to mind because he does so much to educate people about plants and their uses."
Wettig oversees a staff of eight to create a colorful mix of about 3,300 annuals, 400 tropicals, 160 perennial varieties and 20 rose varieties.
"We're primarily known as a container garden," Wettig said. Window boxes, urns, pots, hanging baskets and topiaries, he noted, are used
" ... to create intimacy in small gardens."
Conestoga House and Gardens qualified for the award because it is successful in fulfilling the mission given in James Hale Steinman's will, which was to make the property available to the public for horticulture education and enjoyment, Wettig said.
On a recent guided tour, it was obvious Wettig takes the mission to heart. As if sharing his own precious family snapshots, he highlighted blooming waterlilies, talked about an orangery, told about the heritage of the estate and recounted stories attached to a statue and the limekiln.
Whimsical surprises are carefully placed throughout the estate. Among them, the celebrated animal topiaries: Curious George, a tennis-playing teddy bear, a rabbit with top hat and a water dragon.
Container plantings, herb garden, ponds, rose garden and patios create an Idea Heaven for gardeners.
The original house was built between 1813 and 1815; another building was added just after the Civil War. The Steinmans purchased the home, outbuildings and 21 acres in 1927. Lancaster architect Frank Everts designed significant additions. In the 1930s, a stable and pool were added and the formal gardens were designed.
Conestoga House and Gardens is open June through September, free of charge, courtesy of the Steinman family and the James Hale Steinman Conestoga House Foundation.
"We just hope that Col. Steinman would be pleased with the way the gardens are displayed today," said Wettig, "and that it would be something that he would be very proud of."
For more information on the Conestoga House and Gardens, please see the Web site www.conestogahouse.org.
Jeannette Scott is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact her at jscott@lnpnews.com or at 291-8689. 
