Besides his status as one of the most celebrated English footballers in history, David Beckham is branching out when it comes to his hobbies. And gardening is one of the latest he added to the list over the weekend as he planted Queen of Sweden shrub roses in his countryside home in the Cotswolds and shared it with his Instagram follower base of nearly 88 million.
The Instagram reel shows that David still has much to learn about how to plant and how to grow roses as he’s heard wondering whether the hole he’d dug is deep enough and as he struggles to take the rose plant out of its container – something that he’s addressed in a more recent follow-up video where he shares tips his followers shared about loosening up the plant’s soil which ultimately makes it easier to remove.
But his followers didn’t seem to mind his inexperience, instead appreciating his enthusiasm and style with the comments section filled with lines such as, ‘David Beckham is the garden influencer we never knew we needed.’ And we couldn’t agree more.
As for us, we were partially distracted by the sheer beauty of David’s chosen Queen of Sweden roses. So much so that we had to track them down – and this is where you can buy them too.
David Beckham’s Queen of Sweden shrub rose
The Beckhams have become true influencers in the home and interiors space – especially since the release of their Netflix documentary. Whether it’s Victoria and David’s handleless kitchen cabinets or David’s favoured Ninja BBQ, everyone instantly wants it. And his shrub rose of choice, the ‘Queen of Sweden’ variety created by David Austin, will be no exception, we’re sure of it.
And, of course, David couldn’t just pick any old rose to line his garden fence with. He had to get a special one.
‘Queen of Sweden roses are a David Austin rose, named to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between the UK and Sweden,’ explains John Clifford, gardening expert from Gardenstone. ‘It might be seen as special because of this, and because of the fact that it was bred by David Austin, who is one of the UK's most esteemed rose breeders.’
John Clifford is a director of Gardenstone, a leading garden landscaping retailer based in the UK. With over 30 years in the gardening industry and continual work alongside The National Trust, John has amassed an extensive range of gardening and planting knowledge. Alongside his younger son, John has built a strong reputation for Gardenstone as a trusted source for both high-quality garden products and expert gardening advice.
But the breed’s special qualities don’t stop there. ‘It's not a common rose variety, however, it could be seen as popular for many reasons. For one, it has beautiful light pink blooms that are nicely rounded in shape. The plant stands upright well, and can be grown as border plants, as well as for cuttings. And it has a beautiful myrrh scent,’ John says.
And even though this and other roses might seem delicate, they are actually not. In fact, they are fairly easy to look after so there’s nothing stopping you from recreating the David Beckham rose garden effect if maintenance is your worry.
‘One of the many good things about these roses is that they're relatively easy to look after. They can grow in either full sunlight or partial sunlight, and can grow in any type of soil without it being a problem. And it's a repeat flowerer,’ John says.
Where to buy the David Austin ‘Queen of Sweden’ rose
Alternatives
Even though the ‘Queen of Sweden’ rose likely won’t necessarily break the bank at £33 for one potted 6-litre plant, there are, however, several other shrub rose varieties that resemble it and are available for less. These are our favourites.
People in the comments were suggesting a Beckham gardening show. And all we have to say is – yes, please!
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