An Interview with Zoe Levey - Founder & Editor of Wildflower Magazine

With a deep appreciation for natural planting and the art of creating spaces that feel both elegant and relaxed, Zoë’s approach to gardening perfectly complements the Agriframes ethos. From rambling roses and wildflower borders to graceful garden structures like the Elegance Gothic Arch, her vision captures the magic of an English garden in full summer bloom.

In this interview, Zoë shares her thoughts on cottage garden planting, seasonal inspiration, and how architectural structures can bring romance, height and character to outdoor spaces throughout July and beyond.

For readers who may be discovering you for the first time, can you tell us a little about your journey into publishing and what inspired you to create Wildflower Magazine?

I’ve spent my entire career working in magazines and in 2018 decided to take the plunge and create my own. I chose the name ‘Wildflower’ as it represents something very beautiful to me, and although Wildflower is a lifestyle magazine covering a variety of different topics such as interiors, fashion, wellbeing, food and travel, it’s the love of flowers that runs as a gentle theme throughout the magazine and brings it all together. Hopefully it connects our readers by our shared love of all things floral.

August feels like the month when gardens really begin to overflow with abundance. What does summer in the garden mean to you personally?

August is one of my favourite months in the garden. I love to grow flowers from seed, so this is when much of the hard work I’ve put in earlier in the year comes to fruition and I get to enjoy the results.  

I love the fact that the days are so long – early morning in the garden is a time when all the birds and insects are so busy, and it’s lovely being outside (often still in my pyjamas) to wander and see what’s happening. Evenings are also so lovely, as the warmth of the day means everything is heavily scented – the honeysuckle, lavender, jasmine - so I love to be outside then too. 

When creating a cottage garden look, what are the key ingredients people should focus on first — structure, planting, colour, texture or something else entirely? 

My advice is very much to plant what you love – this has to be your first consideration in planning your garden. An English country garden is typically quite chaotic, haphazard and characterized by its abundance of flowers, so don’t hold back - choose plenty of flowers in all shapes and sizes, as long as they bring you joy.

I suggest thinking of which colours you like best – I personally love the classic English country garden combinations of whites, purples and pinks, with the occasional sprinkling of a bright blue or pop of yellow. But really anything goes – just think how amazing the addition of bright red poppies can look, or tall peachy hollyhocks which are so whimsical. Layering your planting is important – tall ones at the back, shorter plants at the front to create visual depth. 

Adding height is important as so many cottage gardens are created in small spaces, so you need to think about maximising how you use the vertical space available to you. Structures such as obelisks or trellises are an easy way to add height to your planting and broadens the selection of flowers you can grow. They can create a charming focal point amongst the profusion of flowers in a flowerbed or when placed at the end of a pathway to create a view. 

The key to growing a successful cottage garden for me is all in the planning. It might look wild and haphazard, but in reality, it’s been meticulously thought through. 

Wildflower often celebrates spaces that feel relaxed and natural rather than overly manicured. How do you strike that balance between romance and practicality in a garden?

Cottage gardens are typically easy to maintain, as they are free-flowing and more relaxed than formal gardens. They can be less demanding, which I think is part of their appeal! But they do still require some structure to work, so think about connecting areas of the garden with weaving pathways, create visual balance by separating areas such as a herb garden with low-rise hedging, or form walkways through flower-covered archways or pergolas. All these elements add a touch of order by providing a framework which balances the fluidity of the planting.

Cottage gardens continue to capture people’s imagination. What do you think makes this style of gardening feel so timeless and comforting?

For me, I love that a cottage garden provides such a rich visual feast – the garden is constantly changing and evolving, and I love to see nature in motion. 

The history of the cottage garden is fascinating and inextricably linked to the English aesthetic. Preserving the past gives us a sense of ourselves and grounds us in the present. The use of native English plants is important, and I especially love to seek out heritage varieties of flowers and vegetables to grow in my garden.  

I also love that naturalistic, wild planting provides a welcoming home for our bees, insects, birds and wildlife, and supports the eco-system better than any other style of garden. 

What’s currently bringing you the most joy in your own garden this month?

In July, my garden is a very busy place!! I have lots of English lavender which at the moment is covered in bees and butterflies making the most of it before it gets a chop. Similarly, they love the purple buddleia and salvias – I have a lot of this colour in my garden in July! I have a wall of electric blue agapanthus growing against the brickwork of the house - at sundown the colours really pop. 

Everything is heavily scented because of the Mediterranean-style weather we’ve been having – I have an ancient rosemary which especially loves the heat, and my fig tree is growing at an astonishing rate plus it’s covered with ripening fruit which will be ready to eat in September. 

And of course, the roses are in full bloom – I grow a wide variety of roses and can’t resist a new purchase every year. Some of my favourites are ‘Birthday Girl’ which was a gift from my garden-loving mum who taught me so much about gardening, ‘Mme. Hardy’ which is an old rose in a gorgeous soft pinky white, and this year after the RHS Chelsea Flower Show I acquired ‘The King’s Rose’, which is bright fuchsia and white striped with a vibrant yellow centre, created to benefit his charity, The King’s Foundation. I grow many of my roses in pots which look beautiful placed at the base of my arch!

For anyone wanting to create a more romantic, nature-led garden this summer, what’s one simple piece of advice you’d give them? 

Grow as much of what you love as possible. It will always bring you joy.

Garden structures can completely change the atmosphere of a space. What role do arches and supports play in creating that layered cottage garden feeling?

I think arches and supports bring a lovely sense of height, structure and charm to the garden, helping you enjoy your plants in a more immersive and personal way. There is something special about walking beneath a leafy arch, brushing past scented flowers, or pausing under a pergola to appreciate the changing colours, textures and shapes above you. 

I like to use garden structures of varying height, colour and design to punctuate areas of my garden – such as a classic obelisk in a flower bed to add visual interest. They are very useful in adding structure where planting might otherwise feel a little flat. 

An archway is useful to frame a pathway, guide you gently from one part of the garden to another, or frame a beautiful view. 

There’s also nothing lovelier than a flower-strewn pergola, set somewhere in a quiet corner, under which to sit, relax and contemplate! 

Structures are an essential part of my garden and help create a lovely soft, layered look that I find so appealing.

The Elegance Gothic Arch has such a graceful, romantic silhouette. What drew you to that particular design?

It’s a timeless design that never dates, but it’s also incredibly versatile and looks beautiful in any number of places in the garden. 

It also works brilliantly with so many different plants. I love the sage green colour of the wirework, as it sits very softly against the plants and compliments any number of flowers – it looks lovely when paired with cream, apricot, and pale pink (so great for roses or jasmine for example), but equally beautiful against a pale purple (such as wisteria).  

How would you style the Elegance Gothic Arch in a July garden setting? 

With roses! Lots of them! My favourite rambling rose is David Austin’s ‘Wedding Day’ which grows quickly so you get good coverage within a year or so. It also grows to a great height, so it looks and feels natural growing over the arch. The flowers begin as a soft apricot, then turn pale cream which is such a pretty combination when paired with the sage green of my Arch.