The garden, named The Curious Garden, aims to capture the perspective of a newcomer to horticulture and seeks to inspire a new generation of gardeners while encouraging interest in environmental careers and traditional rural craft. It will include a beehive, inspired by their enthusiasm for beekeeping and producing honey, and an easel created by Eleanor Pickin, a graduate of the Snowdon School of Furniture. Beckham is a patron of The King's Foundation, and King Charles invited him to Highgrove for a tour of the gardens two years ago; they met again last year at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Beckham has been given a garden gnome to paint for the event, and his painted gnome will be auctioned off for charity. The Chelsea Flower Show made a one-off decision to lift its ban on garden gnomes this year to raise funds for the Royal Horticultural Society's campaign for school gardening. The Royal Horticultural Society is asking celebrities to decorate gnomes to feature in the king's garden, and they will all be up for auction, with other participants including actor Cate Blanchett and cook Mary Berry.
The Royal Horticultural Society lifted the gnome ban once before, in 2013, to celebrate the centenary of the event.