Mr Bowles was so respected and loved by The Royal Horticultural Society that they removed plants from his garden after his death to create a living memorial to him at Wisley which they named" Bowles' Corner".
Mr Bowles invented the celebrated "the two pronged fork", ideal for removing weeds with carrot -like roots without disturbing surrounding plants too much.An example of which may be seen at Bowles' Corner.
Mr Bowles played host to royalty once when King HaakonVII of Norway 1872-1957 met him at an RHS show and was invited to inspect Myddelton in the 1920’s. Apparently the king ruffled the hair of a Bowles Boy, who also had tea with the two men.
There are 48 plants bearing the name "Bowles", perhaps the most famous being Erysimium ‘Bowles Mauve’, (a plant he himself NEVER grew), or "Bowles Golden Grass".
Mr Bowles was the first Enfield Man to be awarded the highest RHS honour, the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1916.
Myddelton House was one of the country houses in the UK not to have electricity or gas until 1955.
Mr Bowles's Rock Garden was regarded in its hey day as the finest in private hands in the country, people camefrom far and wide to see it.
Mr Bowles Crocus collection, housed in the kitchen garden was comprehensive and among the most admired in the UK. It was left to Cambridge Botanical Garden in his will.
In 1919 Mr Bowles designed the Grenfell Medal for the RHS "for exhibits of pictures or photographs of horticultural or botanical interest". Bowles himself was a recipient in 1929, 1931, 1932, and 1935. In 1928 an exception was made for his floral paintings and instead of the usualbronze silver-gilt, he was awarded the medal in gold .So he was the 1st.
Myddelton House Garden was remarkable in Bowles' time as it was full of the newest and rarest newly discovered plants, many of them difficult to grow, but grown successfully in his poor soil.
No one knows for certain, but it is widely believed that Mr Bowles served on more committees within the Royal Horticultural Society than any other member, a total of, rising to be a Vice President of the RHS, a post he held from 1926-1954.
The 107 year old Wisteria floribunda is important enough an example to have featured on Gardener’s World twice in 1999 and 2003.
Myddelton House Gardens is unique for having a memorial commemorating two Royal events exactly a hundred years apart, the arrival of William 111 in 1688 and the return to sanity of George 111 in 1788.Then engraved in Latin the afterthought “albeit only temporary”.
Few, if any gardens can boast the beautiful gothic style of Market Cross which was rescued from becoming builder’s rubble by Mr Bowles in 1904.
Myddelton House Gardens is unique for having the pair of recently restored 280 year old lead ostriches, acquired and treasured by Mr Bowles 110 years ago.
The oldest tree in the garden is several million years old, in the form of the Petrified Tree in the Stone Garden on the drive.