David Beckham's ingenious garden hack just made the planting process easier – and it's completed in seconds

The soccer player learned a new trick while elevating his Cotswolds estate with beautiful shrubs – and it can benefit our yard, too

David Beckham
(Image credit: Karwai Tang /WireImage via GettyImages)

David Beckham: he's just like everyone else... or at least he is when it comes to gardening habits. While we don't expect celebrities like Beckham to make planting hiccups, the celebrated soccer star proved he's not immune from mishaps. However, unlike us, he has a fanbase who were quick to right his wrongs. The first lesson? Removing his rose shrub from its plastic container.

Recently, Beckham shared a series of videos to Instagram, in which he is filmed planting a Queen of Sweden shrub – a David Austin English shrub rose in a quintessential romantic shade of pale pink. However, despite the rose's beauty, we were slightly distracted by the fact that Beckham was struggling to remove the plant from its container.

Naturally, this was a cue for gardening enthusiasts to share their knowledge. Consequently, in a more recent video (below), Beckham takes their tips on board. He removes another plant with ease from its plastic holding cell by repeatedly tapping on all sides of the container. This hack loosens any dirt stuck to the plastic walls, meaning he can easily grab the plant base near the potting soil and pull it out seamlessly.

@davidbeckham

Thanks for the advice 🌷 who knew 😂

♬ original sound - David Beckham

'After my slightly amateur attempt at planting my shrubs yesterday, I took the advice of some people who commented on my planting and tried to get my Queen of Sweden out of the box. And guess what? They were right. Let’s see…,' Beckham says before proceeding to show off his newfound knowledge.

'Who knew it was so easy to get a Queen of Sweden out of the box – thank you, everyone. Isn’t it always nice to be kind?'

Removing rose shrubs from their containers is one thing; however, the planting process doesn't end there. While Beckham completes the rest of his method off-camera, we enlisted the help of the experts at Phostrogen, who fill in any more gaps we may have about rose care (particularly the best placement).

pink rose shrub in a garden

(Image credit: Future)

'When it comes to choosing the perfect spot for your rose garden, remember that almost all species thrive in full sun. If possible, somewhere that enjoys six to eight hours of good sun a day is ideal, but try and protect them from harsh winds, which may damage the stems,' they say.

'Roses need plenty of room to grow and don’t like to share their soil, so ensure you plant them with plenty of space to grow and move. Space your rose plant approximately one meter away from other plants and around half a meter or more away from other roses to allow them space to grow.'

After we have found enough space and sunlight for your rose, the experts reassure us that design possibilities are endless, thanks to the many varieties available. 'Planting bushes along your borders in groups of three or more forms a dense shrub for extra impact and added privacy, while placing potted rose trees along walkways or framing your front door offers a quaint look,' they add. We can tap into the look with this pick below.


Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.