Gardening may not be what David Beckham is known for (yet at least), his success as a budding rose gardener may well grow into a new career prospect for him. He's definitely off to a strong start including the Queen of Sweden rose in his garden line up.
Not only known for striking good looks and beautiful scent, this fine specimen will improve season after season. And the rose isn't bad either.
Gardeners will love this reliable shrub variety as a hedge-style plant along a garden boundary. We share tips on how to plant the Queen of Sweden, ensuring it has the conditions it likes, as well as how to deliver the care if needs for it to flower abunduntly in your garden landscaping year after year.
The Queen of Sweden rose that David Beckham planted
Pale pink flowers give off a light scent(Image credit: Olga Ionina / Alamy Stock Photo)
This variety, which Becks filmed himself planting on his Instagram stories and you can buy for yourself at Boma Garden centre or direct from David Austin, was developed by David Austin Roses, and was so named to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Queen Christina of Sweden and Oliver Cromwell of Great Britain.
The Queen of Sweden is a shrub rose. Or as Beckham questioned: shouldn't it be called rose shrub? No, is the answer, as some will know shrub roses refer to a specific variety of roses which have a more open and sprawling habit.
According to David Austin Roses, this is a great choice for creating a rose hedge. This variety produces a bounty of light-pink flowers with a gentle myrrh fragrance which will repeat flower throughout the season.
The advantage of shrub roses is that they can be grown with minimum attention. Their arching branches tend to be prickly, making them a great natural deterrent for intruders.
Shop similar shrub rose varieties
Rosa Soul ('Tan09651') (PBR)
This deep pink variety will repeat flower from June to October. It's the ideal border plant and it can be clipped to a low hedge.
Rose Glyndebourne
Another repeat flowering variety with delicate pink petals. It's also delicately frangranced and unlike some shrub roses it will be fine in windy or exposed areas of the garden.
Rosa 'Timeless Purple'
This is a vigourous bloomer with intense scent. It's an award-winning variety that will grow well in a border or large pot.
Roses can be bought as bare root or in pots depending on the season. Bare root varieties can be planted in autumn or early spring, whereas late spring and summer tend to be better for transplanting pot-grown varieties into the soil.
Soak your rose: To give your rose the best start leave it to soak in a bucket of water to hydrate it before it goes in the soil. This also helps loosen the plant from its pot when you transplant it into the soil.
Find a good spot: As for where to position your Queen of Sweden rose it looks like Becks has chosen a good spot. It will have support next to the fence, but also, given the openness of the fence the rose will receive plenty of light. As this variety prefers full sun-partial shade if it's to produce plenty of blooms. Avoid areas which are exposed to strong winds and don't plant them too close to other plants or roses.
Dig your hole: David was curious about whether he'd planted it deeply enough. You should aim to dig a hole at least twice the size of your rootball. loosen all the soil around the edges particularly if it's clay soil as this prevents the plant from becoming waterlogged.
Secure in the ground: Hold your plant over its hole and sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi on the roots. Position it in the ground and fill in the area around the plant. The area where the roots join the stem should be just below the soil.
Water and finish: give your rose a good watering and mulch around the base with organic material to help retain moisture and provide nutrients for your rose as it grows.
Grow Queen of Sweden rose in a sheltered spot(Image credit: Mariia Boiko / Alamy Stock Photo)
How to care for Queen of Sweden
The great thing about shrub roses is that they don't require much maintenance. However there are a few things you can do to ensure that your rose remains in peak physical condition.
Plant expert Nick Hamilton of Barnsdale Gardens shares his care tips below:
Watering: Do this well when it is required. In their first season after planting you will need to keep an eye on watering, as they will not have rooted out into the surrounding soil and any rain that falls will generally hit the foliage and bounce away from the rootball beneath the soil.
Feeding: This rose will benefit from feeding and this can be done with a controlled-release fertiliser in the spring, often supplied as a plug of fertiliser, or a standard rose fertiliser can be applied in the spring and again in midsummer.
Pruning: Prune in February and remove any dead or shoots, as well as those growing into the centre of the bush. remove anywhere from a third to half of the previous season's growth and always to an outward-facing bud.
Nick Hamilton
Nick's extensive gardening knowledge is the result of years of practical experience, trial and error, but also success with organic and peat-free methods. Most days, Nick can be found working at Barnsdale Gardens in his preferred "hands-on" capacity. He continues to produce exhibits that have won Gold Medals at events like Gardeners' World Live and in the Chelsea Flower Show's Great Pavilion.
This shrub variety has upright blooms which are also great for cutting(Image credit: thrillerfillerspiller / Alamy Stock Photo)
If you're looking for more plants to grow next to a fence or wall then check out the best plants for shade.
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Teresa was part of a team that launched Easy Gardens in 2018 and worked as the Editor on this magazine. She has extensive experience writing and editing content on gardens and landscaping on brands such as Homes & Gardens, Country Homes & Interiors and Living Etc magazine. She has developed close working relationships with top landscape architects and leading industry experts, and has been exposed to an array of rich content and expertise.
In 2020 Teresa bought her first home. She and her partner worked alongside architects and builders to transform the downstairs area of her two bedroom Victorian house in north London into a usable space for her family. Along the way she learned the stresses, woes and joys of home renovation, and is now looking to her next project, landscaping the back garden.
