Fine Gardening Native Plant Container Challenge Official Rules

See official rules for Fine Gardening Native Plant Container Challenge below.

Click here to enter your submission, or learn more here.

Fine Gardening Native Plant Container Challenge 

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING
 

OFFICIAL RULES
 

1. Sponsor:  

Fine Gardening Native Plant Container Challenge (the “Contest”) is sponsored by Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc., 2143 Grand Ave , Des Moines, IA 50312 (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. Agreement to Official Rules 

By participating in this Contest, each entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules and represents that he or she meets the eligibility requirements below. 

 3. Eligibility:  

Contest (the “Contest”) is only open to participants who are legal residents of United States, and who are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry (the “Entrant”). Entrants under the age of eighteen (18) years of age may participate only if a parent or legal guardian completes the entry on their behalf and agrees to be bound by these Official Rules on the minor’s behalf. Employees of Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc. (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. 

4. Contest Period:  

Entries will be accepted online starting on Dec 31, 2025 at 12:00 AM and ending Aug 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM (the “Entry Period”). All online entries must be received by Aug 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. 

5. 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 Sponsor. 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 Sponsor. 

Acceptable file formats: JPEG, PNG. Maximum file size per image: 10 MB. Total Submission size should not exceed 50 MB. 

6. Qualifying Submissions:  

Entries must feature an original container garden design. Each design is required to include at least one North American native plant (native cultivars acceptable). Submissions should clearly identify the native plant used and demonstrate how it contributes to the overall design. Containers may be any size or style, but designs should be suitable for growing in containers for an entire season. Photos and a brief plant list are required with each entry. 

7. Judging:  

Judging will be conducted by Fine Gardening’s editorial staff. Editors will select their favorite plan displays submitted during the course of the year based on the following criteria: 

The decisions of the judges are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. Odds of winning depend on the number and quality of eligible entries received.  

8. Prizes:  

The approximate retail value of all prizes is $300. The prizes are: The winner’s container garden design will be featured in a future issue of  Fine Gardening Magazine (approximate publicity value: $300) No cash equivalent is available. 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 Sponsor to use winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. 

If the prize becomes unavailable for any reason, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value 

9. 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. Winner selection will occur on or about September 30, 2026. Sponsor 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. 

10. Rights Granted by you: 

By entering this Contest you understand that Sponsor, anyone acting on behalf of Sponsor, or its 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. 

11. Terms: Sponsor 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, Sponsor may judge submissions from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor 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. Sponsor 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, Sponsor 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 Sponsor. You can opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. Newsletter subscription is not a condition of entry. Entrants who do not wish to receive newsletters may indicate this preference on the entry form or opt-out at any time. 

12. Limitation of Liability:  

By entering you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor 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. 

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, entrant waives any and all claims for injury, damage, or loss arising from participation in this Contest or receipt or use of any prize.  

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  

13. Disputes:  

THIS CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF IOWA, 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 Polk County, Des Moines Iowa. BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST, ENTRANT WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.  

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. 

14. Severability  

If any provision of these Official Rules is found by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severed from these Official Rules and shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions.  

15. Privacy Policy:  

Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on the Sponsor Website. Read the Privacy Policy here. 

By entering this Contest, entrant consents to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information as described in the Privacy Policy and these Official Rules, including for purposes of Contest administration, prize fulfillment, and promotional communications (subject to opt-out rights described in Section 11. 

14. Winners List:  

For the names of the winners, please contact us via the contact form at https://www.aimmedia.com/contact/. In the subject field, type ‘Please e-mail me the winners’ list for the Sponsor Contest. 

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