Gardens of the Year Competition terms and conditions

3. The promotion is open to all eligible residents of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands), aged 18 years or older, except the employees or contractors of the Promoter, and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members. Any gardens which were shortlisted in the competition between 2018 and 2024 are not eligible for entry.

4. Entrants must not be seasoned professional gardeners who earn their sole living by designing or maintaining gardens for money. Those who have started their gardening career since 2023 or occasionally carry out garden landscaping or design work will be eligible for entry. The garden must: (i) be a private garden (but may be open occasionally to the public for charities or fund-raising activities only, not as a profit-making activity for the benefit of the owner); and (ii) be maintained by the owner with no more than one full-time helper or employee.

5. Entrants are expected to act fairly and in the good spirit of the competition. Immediate reserves the right to investigate any irregularities and disqualify entrants at its absolute discretion. Only one entry will be permitted per person.

How to Enter

6. The closing date for entries is midday on 9 June 2025.

7. You should enter the competition by completing and submitting the online entry form at GardenersWorld.com/garden-competition, along with images of your garden. There is a minimum of 6 and a limit of 10 images per entry. Entries submitted without images will be rejected. Please ensure the images support your garden’s entry.

8. Entrants must supply to the Promoter, their full name, telephone number, email address and postal address. The Promoter will use entrants’ personal details in accordance with Immediate’s Privacy Policy (https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/).

Judging

9. The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine editorial staff will select a shortlist of the six best gardens from all of the entries using the following criteria:
• Creative use of the available space
• Design of the planting and way plants are used and combined
• Overall atmosphere created by the garden design or layout
• Use of materials including balance of hard and soft landscaping

10. If your garden is shortlisted as a finalist, you will be notified by telephone or email by 20 June 2025. In the event the Promoter cannot reach a shortlisted finalist within 28 days of notification, or the shortlisted finalist refuses to participate fully in the promotional activity connected with this competition, the Promoter reserves the right to choose a substitute.

11. A judging panel consisting of the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine editorial staff and at least one independent judge will choose one Judges’ Choice Award winner from the shortlisted entries. The judges will make their decision based on the professional photos and/or video that we arrange to be taken of the garden using the criteria described above.

12. A People’s Choice Award will also be voted for by the general public on gardenersworld.com from the shortlisted entries. The garden that receives the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award. Voting will be open on 10 October 2025 and close at midday on 7 November 2025. One vote will be permitted per person.

13. In the event that two or more entrants receive the highest number of public votes, resulting in a tie, a panel of judges from the Gardeners’ World team will review the tied entries and select a winner based on the same competition criteria (see clause 9) at their sole discretion. The decision of the panel will be final.

14. The winners will be announced in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and on gardenersworld.com and related social media channels on the following dates:
• Judges’ Choice Award winner – 16 October 2025; and
• People’s Choice Award winner – 18 December 2025.

Promotion and Publicity

15. By entering the competition, you agree that your first name, the county of your garden and the images supplied with your entry may be used by the Promoter. You confirm that you own the copyright to the images you submit, and you hereby grant the Promoter a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use all images you submit in your entry throughout the world and in all media, including their publications, websites and social media channels in connection with the competition.

16. A shoot will be arranged for all of the shortlisted gardens to take photos and/or video of you and your garden (the “Content”) for promotional activities and features and for the final judging. This visit will take place between 23 June 2025 and 15 August 2025. Copyright in the Content will belong to the Promoter and the Promoter may withhold this Content from you. You will be required to sign a release form to confirm that the Promoter and any third parties that they work with, may use the Content throughout the world and in all media. You understand and agree that the Content may also feature the outside of your property where appropriate.

Prizes

17. Details of the prizes are set out below. The Judges’ Choice Award winner will be notified by telephone or email by 10 October 2025. The People’s Choice Award winner will be notified by telephone or email by 12 December 2025. In the event the Promoter cannot reach a winner within 28 days of notification, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prizes to someone else from the shortlist, or to re-offer the prize in any future promotion.

18. There is no cash alternative and the prize will not be transferable. The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with one of the same or greater value.

19. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence relating to the promotion will be entered into.

20. The Promoter does not accept any responsibility for incomplete, lost, delayed or fraudulent entries.

21. The Promoter excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to you arising from your entry into the competition or occurring to the winner(s) arising from their acceptance of a prize.

22. The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.

23. Your details are being collected and used by the Promoter, not by the social media platform. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any social media platform. By entering this promotion, you agree to release the host social media platform of any liability.

24. The competition is subject to the laws of England.

25. By entering the promotion, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Prizes

All prizes are supplied by Long Travel (a trading brand of ASC Travel ltd) to a sum of £10,000

Judges’ Choice Award Prize
The Judges’ Choice Award winner will receive a holiday with flights for 2 people in the Palazzo Belmonte Hotel, Santa Maria di Castellenata, Campania, Italy worth over £7,000, including:

• 7 nights bed and continental breakfast for 2 people at the 4* Palazzo Belmonte hotel in Santa Maria di Castellabata, Campania, Italy staying in a ground floor garden room with patio and sea view.
• 1x welcome aperitif on arrival at the hotel.
• 250 EUR credit to spend at the hotel terrace lounge bar during your stay.
• Car hire (including excess reimbursement insurance) for the duration of the stay in Italy.
• Return flights from London (including small cabin bag, 1x hold bag per person and allocated seating).
• Airport lounge and fast-track security at the London departing airport.

More information can be viewed at www.long-travel.co.uk/accommodation/palazzo-belmonte

Terms and Conditions

1. All prizes must be claimed and booked by the prize winner by 1 April 2026, for travel by 31 May 2027 and is valid for 2 guests.
2. The winner cannot book during the blackout period of 15 July 2026 - 15 September 2026.
3. Both guests must be aged 18 or over.
4. Long Travel will provide an airport lounge and fast-track security at the London departing airport .
5. The holiday flights included in the prize are from and to a London airport (regional airports can be considered, however a supplement may be incurred).
6. 250 EUR credit will be provided for use at the terrace lounge bar – once the credit amount is used, the winners will be responsible for additional costs.
7. The room included in the prize is a ground floor garden room, with patio and sea view for 2 guests and includes a continental daily breakfast.
8. London Travel ltd is a trading brand of ASC Travel ltd, with which the holiday contract will be with.
9. Palazzo Belmonte hotel is not suitable for guests who have mobility issues.
10. Your holiday will be ATOL protected with ASC Travel ltd, No 12654.

People's Choice Award Prize
The People’s Choice Award winner will receive a holiday for up to 6 people in Riverside Cabins, Shropshire, United Kingdom, worth £3,000, including:

• 7 nights at Riverside Cabins, Shropshire, United Kingdom for up to 6 people (the prize winner can take up to 5 friends or family members), staying in a 3-bedroom self-catering lodge with hot tub.
• 1x welcome hamper on arrival including breakfast and BBQ box.
• Free use of the smoke house BBQ and kitchen area and ‘The Nest’ communal area.
• Travel to and from the accommodation is not included.

https://www.riverside-cabins.co.uk/

Terms and Conditions

1. The holiday must be taken in 2026 and is valid for up to 6 guests.
2. Dates for this holiday will be subject to availability at the time of requesting a booking.
3. The main prize winner must be over the age of 18. Any guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult over the age of 18.
4. The prize is for 7 nights in a self-catering boutique woodland lodge with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms including: an en-suite double with sumptuous king size bed; a further double; and a twin/double. Other facilities include: a cosy, laid-back living and dining area, galley-style kitchen with breakfast bar, induction hob, oven, microwave, American-style fridge freezer, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, complimentary tea, sugar, and Nespresso pods, along with everyday kitchen and dining essentials.
5. The welcome hamper will consist of everything you need to make one delicious home-cooked breakfast for 6, using local, Shropshire ingredients (veggie breakfast option available). Also, one luxury ‘steak and chips’ box for 6 people. This perfectly paired two-course recipe box, gives you the opportunity to enjoy our beautifully aged UK ex-dairy steak and enjoy a luxurious dessert with none of the work. Vegetarian option is a Shropshire cheese board.
6. All prizes must be claimed and booked by the prize winner within 12 months of our first correspondence with them.
7. The holiday will be provided by Riverside cabins Ltd & Long Travel ltd (which is a trading brand of ASC Travel Ltd). Your holiday contract will be with ASC Travel ltd.