Rules

Garden Photo of the Year

OFFICIAL RULES


1. Sponsor: Garden Photo of the Year (the "Contest") is sponsored by Active Interest Media, 2143 Grand Ave , Des Moines, IA (the “Sponsor”). The Sponsor is responsible for all aspects of the Contest. Participation in the Contest constitutes the participant's full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules, and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.


2. Eligibility: Contest (the "Contest") is only open to participants who are legal residents of United States, and who are 13+ at the time of entry (the “Entrant”). Employees of Active Interest Media (the "Sponsor"), their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in the Contest. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law, rule, or regulation.


3. Contest Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on Nov 01, 2025 at 12:00 AM and ending Oct 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM (the “Entry Period”). All online entries must be received by Oct 31, 2026 11:59 PM . All times are (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada). Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible. Sponsor’s computer is the official timekeeping device for the Contest.


4. How to Enter: The Contest must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided on this site. The entry must fulfill all Contest requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Active Interest Media. You may enter only once and you must fill in the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple e-mail addresses, identities or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of Active Interest Media.


5. Qualifying Submissions: Please submit at least 5 photos.


6. Judging: The Contest entries will be judged based on: Editors will pick their favorite gardens submitted during the course of the year bsaed on the aesthetic, creative use of plants, health of the garden, uniqueness of the design, and quality of the imagery. Judging will be conducted by Fine Gardening's editors will be judging the contest.


7. Prizes: The approximate retail value of all prizes is $. The prizes are: Featured in Fine Gardening Magazinee. Actual/appraised value may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor. No cash or other prize substitution permitted except at Sponsor's discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and local taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by winners is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Active Interest Media to use winner's name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.


8. Winner Notification: Winners of the Contest will be notified via e-mail or phone to the e-mail address or phone number they entered into the Contest with within five (5) days following the winner selection. Active Interest Media shall have no liability for a winner's failure to receive notices due to winners' spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winners' provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 15 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected. The receipt by winner of the prize offered in this Contest is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY ANY WINNER (AT SPONSOR'S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH WINNER'S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE CONTEST AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.


9. Rights Granted by you: By entering this Contest you understand that Active Interest Media, anyone acting on behalf of Active Interest Media, or its respective licensees, successors and assigns will have the right, where permitted by law, without any further notice, review or consent to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter in perpetuity and throughout the World, your entry, including, without limitation, the entry and winner's name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or statements about the Contest, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without any further compensation.


10. Terms: Active Interest Media reserves the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Active Interest Media may judge submissions from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Active Interest Media. Active Interest Media reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.


Active Interest Media has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Contest, to void entries for any reason, including, but not limited to; multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by Contest rules; or the use of bots, macros or scripts or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Active Interest Media reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
By entering the Contest you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from Active Interest Media. You can opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.


11. Limitation of Liability: By entering you agree to release and hold harmless Active Interest Media and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) such entrant's participation in the contest and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries.


12. Disputes: THIS CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF UNITED STATES AND IA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Contest, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in IA having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Contest), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.


13. Privacy Policy: Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on the Active Interest Media Web Site. Read the Privacy Policy here: https://www.finegardening.com/do-not-sell-my-information?srsltid=AfmBOorMkJYrSbj96w3XTkx8BO5Nq_ULAw8NC7Q_Fy2HGQdx6meoomjy


14. Winners List: For the names of the winners, please contact us at and in the body of the email type 'Please e-mail me the winners' list for the Active Interest Media Contest.


15. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Google. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Contest and not to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Google.