At the risk of sounding nosy, I love seeing what’s in other people’s gardens. It’s always exciting to discover the crops they’ve chosen, what’s looking plentiful, and how they’ve laid out their growing space.
Sir David and Lady Beckham are certainly no strangers to a bit of yard work. David regularly shares glimpses of their vegetable garden on Instagram, while Victoria often films him as he tends the beds, harvests produce, and shows off what they’re growing. Their posts offer a fascinating running look at how their garden develops throughout the year.
So, if you’re thinking about starting your own vegetable garden, the Beckhams’ growing space is a great place to find inspiration. Here’s a closer look at what they’re growing and discover the easiest vegetables you can plant in your own garden this fall.
1. Onions
The Beckhams appear to grow several types of onions. In David’s Instagram video, he is seen harvesting a Shakespeare onion, while another video shows red onions harvested elsewhere in the garden.
Shakespeare is a fall-planted variety that can establish before winter and continue growing when temperatures rise again in spring. However, onion planting times vary across the US, so check that any variety you buy is suitable for overwintering in your USDA zone.
If you’re a beginner, onion sets are usually easier than growing onions from seed. Small, partially developed bulbs, they establish more quickly than seeds and make things easier. A mixed pack, such as the TomorrowSeeds 3 Colors Mix Onion Sets from Walmart, gives you red, white, and yellow onions in one planting, making it an easy way to create a colorful crop similar to the Beckhams’.
Plant onion sets in full sun, in loose, well-drained soil, with the pointed tip just above the surface.
2. Lettuce
David and Victoria are also fans of growing their own lettuce, and in his video, David highlights the variety Black Seeded Simpson, a loose-leaf lettuce with light green leaves that is well suited to cooler growing conditions.
That makes it a good option to plant in September. Lettuce can be sown directly into the soil in many areas, although the best timing depends on your first frost date. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil, and keep the soil consistently moist while the seeds germinate and the young plants establish.
You can find Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds from RDR Seeds on Amazon. When harvesting, leaving the center intact allows the lettuce to keep producing new leaves rather than pulling up the entire plant at once.
3. Strawberries
In a video from earlier this summer, David shows off his healthy cluster of strawberry plants. The plants are surrounded by borage, whose blue flowers can help attract pollinators while adding extra color to the vegetable garden.
Strawberries are another crop worth considering adding in the fall, to give roots time to establish before winter and get off to a productive start next year. The exact timing varies by region, but aim for roughly 4 to 6 weeks before your first expected hard frost. You can pick up a pack of Bonnie strawberry plants from Walmart.
Check that the types of strawberries are suitable for your area, plant them in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil, and make sure the crown sits level with the soil surface rather than being buried.
Shop Vegetable Growing Supplies
You don’t need the Beckhams’ space – or their gardening experience – to make a start. Lettuce, strawberries, and onions are all useful crops for beginners, and with the right varieties and planting times for your area, they can help turn even a small garden bed into a productive growing space this fall.
