In 1931, Waldo and Clara Cummer, Mr. Cummer’s brother and sister-in-law, hired the Olmsted firm to redesign their property, which was adjacent to Mr. and Mrs. Cummer’s. Primarily, the firm helped to incorporate the land he and Clara acquired after the death of his mother, Ada. Although much of this work was destroyed by subsequent construction, a significant […]

The Italian Garden was designed in 1931 by pre-eminent landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869–1950). Shipman‘s clients included the Fords, Astors, Seiberlings, and countless other captains of American Industry. She was renowned for her artistic planting style, founded on years of hands-on gardening and horticultural expertise. Like Mrs. Cummer, Shipman had also just returned from […]

In 1930, Mr. and Mrs. Cummer took a trip to Italy where they visited the Villa Gamberaia, located just outside of Florence. Their trip provided Mrs. Cummer with much food for thought, and her love of Italian ornaments also may have sparked the idea of making an Italian garden. The presence of water is an […]

The lower lawn was originally a putting green, which was a gift from Mrs. Cummer to her husband. It is heralded as one of the first private putting greens in Florida, probably constructed during the first decade of the twentieth century. The lower lawn was also the site of many charitable events during Mrs. Cummer’s […]

The St. Johns River is seen from the Cummer Gardens. Running 310 miles, the longest river in Florida, it starts in marshes southwest of Cape Canaveral and flows north to Jacksonville, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The St. Johns, like many Florida rivers, was altered to make way for agricultural and residential centers. It suffered severe […]

In 1910, when Mr. and Mrs. Cummer decided they needed a new infusion of advice as well as additional trees and shrubs for their grounds, they looked to an out-of-state resource, the Philadelphia nurserymen, Thomas Meehan (1826-1901) and Sons. The centerpiece of the new garden was a large wisteria arbor. Mrs. Cummer’s notation on Meehan’s plan […]

Azaleas (Rhododendron indica) are called ‘the royalty of the garden’. The evergreen shrubs bloom in spring and the blooms last for one to two weeks. They require acidic, well-drained soil and partial sun or filtered shade. In 1925, Mrs. Cummer attended a lecture by H. Harold Hume (1875-1965) on the beauty of azaleas. Hume is remembered […]

The Tea Garden was the site of many afternoon tea parties for Mrs. Cummer. Its elevated perch and shady location make it a great spot to enjoy the English Garden’s blooms. This is also where Mrs. Cummer shared her gardening expertise with friends. Those gatherings evolved into the first meeting of the Florida Federation of Garden […]

Diana was the Roman goddess of women and patroness of the hunt, represented here by her hunting dog and bow. Her role as earth-bound huntress is complemented by her identity as the goddess of the moon, and Diana’s placement in the Cummer Gardens bridges these earthly and heavenly roles. Balanced atop an earthly globe, the […]

The Cummer Oak (Live oak/ Quercus virginiana) is estimated to be between 175 and 200 years old. It has a spread of 150 feet. The gallery nearest the oak is built on pilings to protect the tree’s root system. Live oaks are a long lived native tree in the southern United States with spreading heavy […]

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is the culmination of the civic, social, and business involvement of a remarkable family. The Cummers came from a long line of lumber barons, whose business interests began in Canada before branching out to Michigan, Virginia, and Florida. As early as 1890, Wellington Willson Cummer (1846-1909) recognized the […]