Garden designer Emily Brooks Wayment welcomes our sister publication Utah Style & Design magazine into a few of her formal gardens and shares the insights and inspiration that ignited these swoon-worthy creations
For more than two decades, Emily Brooks Wayment has been crafting lush landscapes for clients throughout Utah and beyond with a focus on formal, classic design. “I’m drawn to the past and enjoy infusing it into my work,” she explains. For this green-thumbed tastemaker, each project is a labor of love, bringing boundless joy and beauty to her residential and commercial properties alike. From lush estates in Holladay to intimate courtyards in Sugarhouse and mountainside retreats in Park City—and even portions of the prestigious grounds of Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City—Wayment’s touch of classic style and timeless design is evident.
Designer Emily Brooks Wayment. Photo by Mikki Platt.
Interestingly, garden design wasn’t initially Wayment’s planned career path. After studying English and Art History at the University of Utah, she worked as a floral designer for a major event-planning firm while pursuing her Master Gardener certification from Utah State University. She then resumed her academic studies abroad. While schooling in England, she was offered the opportunity to attend a landscape design program at a small college in Oxford.
Inspired by vibrant Flemish paintings, the picturesque English countryside and classic garden style, she immersed herself in the 18-month landscape design course. This transformative experience planted the seed for the flourishing career she now enjoys.
Surrounded by a recent project’s neatly trimmed hedges, espaliered pear trees and expanses of hydrangeas, Wayment reflects, “Formal gardens—particularly English gardens—hold a special place in my heart. I’m captivated by their simplicity, intricate details and calming symmetry.” She loves collaborating with passionate homeowners and skilled designers as she creates memorable, site-driven landscapes. And she has many on the drawing boards waiting to take root. Come take a stroll with us through a few of her charming gardens and cull some of Wayment’s formal garden design tips and techniques.
SYMMETRY AND BALANCE
Balance and symmetry are hallmarks of formal garden design. Achieving balance involves distributing visual weight evenly throughout the space, while symmetry refers to mirroring design elements on either side of a central axis. “Symmetry and balance are calming to the eye and create a sense of harmony,” says Wayment, who uses them to enhance traditional homes and architecture.
PATTERN
“What’s not to love about the diamond pattern?” exclaims Wayment, gushing about one of her beloved design motifs. Formal gardens embrace structure with their clean lines, geometric shapes and classic patterns like diamonds, checkerboards and traditional knots. Wayment masterfully uses trimmed shrubs, clever combinations of lawn and pavers, and striking patio tiles to craft familiar patterns that truly elevate her designs.
FOCAL POINT
“One of the most important parts of any garden is where your eye lands,” says Wayment. She carefully creates focal points to draw the eye in and anchor her designs. Head-turning water features, benches, planters, specimen plants, garden structures and sculptures are among the elements that can do the trick. “They help draw visitors in and guide their movements throughout a garden.”
Wayment layered rows of eye-catching topiaries and lush hydrangeas in the formal gardens of a home designed and built by The Fox Group. Photo by Mikki Platt.
STRUCTURED PLANTINGS
Nailing that polished, structured look is everything. It’s all about those crisp lines and orderly beds. Creating clean edges for garden beds is key, and Wayment often relies on clipped hedges and evergreen shrubs like trusty boxwoods to establish clear definition. By repeating these and similar plants, she crafts a harmonious, unified appearance. “They’re the guardians,” she says, “delivering structure and guiding movement.”
TOPIARY
Topiaries epitomize the precision of formal gardens, with their meticulously trimmed foliage and artful forms. Wayment favors hornbeams, boxwoods, arborvitae and linden trees for her shapely creations. She uses topiaries in an assortment of impressive roles, from framing entrances to anchoring planters and accentuating focal points. They infuse her gardens with classical elegance and the interest delivered by shapes and height changes.
GATES
With their decorative flair and eye-catching designs, gates are more than just functional transitions—they’re focal points that catch the eye. Wayment takes cues from the architecture of a home, crafting gates that harmonize with its style and selecting colors and materials that complement the overall aesthetic. “Metal structures are my favorites; they stand the test of time. But you can’t deny the timeless charm of wood, especially in English gardens,” she muses.
CALMING COLOR
Formal gardens of the past embellished their evergreen shrub, hedge and tree plantings with readily available blooming plants, predominantly whites, pinks, lavenders and other subdued tones. Wayment favors these paler tones in her designs. Yellow? Maybe. Buttercream? Absolutely. “I lean towards the softer hues reminiscent of English gardens,” remarks the designer, who strategically echoes these colors throughout her designs to amplify the soothing simplicity and cohesion of the landscapes.
WATER
“I love water everywhere,” Wayment declares with a laugh. This explains the fountains, ponds and pools she integrates throughout her formal garden designs. “Water has an amazing way of cooling things down visually, and its sound is so serene.” Plus, it draws birds and wildlife. With tiered fountains stealing the show and serene pools and ponds creating refreshing backdrops, Wayment’s gardens become inviting outdoor oases. “They help draw visitors in and guide their movements throughout a garden.”
RHYTHM AND REPETITION
“Repetition creates a rhythm and connects you to the space,” notes Wayment. She deliberately selects a refined palette of plants, repeating them strategically to establish rhythm and balance, reinforcing the formal design. This intentional repetition at precise intervals fosters a harmonious, unified appearance while preserving the elegance and simplicity inherent in formal style gardens.
ARCHITECTURAL TIES
Wayment emphasizes the importance of aligning a garden with the house’s architecture by complementing and embracing its style, scale, massings and materials. “This helps to create a sense of harmony and flow between the house and its landscape,” she says. The designer also considers views from indoor spaces, making certain that garden scenes are perfected, inside and out.
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