The growth in the Garden Conservancy’s program is a reflection of burgeoning interest in gardening in this country. There are a host of magazines, television shows, Web sites and other services catering to the occasional as well as aficionado gardener. For example, the American Horticulture Society reports a 55% increase in the number of calls to its information line between May 1999 and May 2000. “The level of interest in gardening has increased enormously because of a need to be closer to home and cocoon and also because of an awareness about the environment,” says Marianne Polito, who runs the call-in line.