Return of Verbenas to Twickenham Park

Verbena EnduraScape Burgundy Eye

The Marquess and Marchioness of Ailsa lived in Twickenham Park between c1816 and 1848. They named their home St Margarets, which went on to give the name to the area. This house was in the southern end of the Richmond Lock development, near the river.

They had a large garden which included what are now the St Margarets Trust Grounds, down to the railway line. This garden was much written about and included an orangery (now the home of the Rambert Ballet School), formal gardens, kitchen gardens and some romantic ruins and follies (including a ‘chapel’ and an ‘ancient amphitheatre’).

Illustration from one of Mr Barkers publications showing Verbena Junius (pink flower)

Their head gardener for some time was a Mr C. Barker. He was an acknowledged expert on herbaceous verbenas. These plants (which have been recategorized as glandularias, though still commonly referred to as verbenas) originate from South America and have bright showy flowers with five petals that are held in rounded clusters. They have long been popular as bedding flowers, and are also very attractive to insects.

Mr Barker wrote articles about verbenas, and was allowed to sell plants that he grew in St Margarets, a perk of his job. He produced several cultivars, including Verbena ‘Barkerii’, ‘St Margarets’, ‘Marchioness of Ailsa’, ‘Duchess of Northumberland’, ‘Junius’, ‘Lady of the Lake’ and ‘Lord of the Isles’. Mr Wyness, Queen Victoria’s gardener at Buckingham Palace, recommended Mr Barker’s verbenas in an article, in particular ‘Barkerii’ and ‘St Margarets’.

I have tried to find somewhere to buy these plants, but to no avail. However, Tracy Jones (who holds the national collection of verbenas) came to the rescue. Following extensive research in archives, as well as historic and current catalogues, she also could not identify these cultivars. Plant breeders often change names in an attempt to gain commercial advantage. However, on reading the descriptions of Mr Barker’s verbenas she considered it most likely that ‘Barkerii’  is now known as ‘Show Boat Dark Red’ and ‘St Margarets’ could be ‘EnduraScape Burgundy Eye’.

Verbena Show Boat Dark Red

These cultivars are reasonably easy to obtain, and so this year I have grown them in pots in the garden. They have grown well, and are now in flower. So I include a photo of them in homage to the gardeners like Mr Barker who have worked in Twickenham Park and St Margarets.

For more information about the Marquess and Marchioness of Ailsa (previously the Earl and Countess of Cassilis), Mr Barker and his verbenas, as well as the original source documents please see George, A.J.T. The Gardens and People of Twickenham Park. Bristol: Redcliffe Press, 2025. I thank Tracy Jones for her expertise and help.

© 2026, Andrew George, all rights reserved

Published 22 May 2026