Seventeen years ago, Howard Howes lost his wife, Janet, and in the aftermath of her passing, he planted a sprawling six-acre field with thousands of oak seedlings.
At its center, Howes left a heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife, with a view of her childhood home visible from its point.
Hot air balloon enthusiast, Andy Collett, recently flew above the woods and was struck by the hidden heart meadow’s beauty.
Howes credited the concept to Collett, who suggested the idea after Janet’s death, and they planted thousands of oak trees around the meadow’s border, adding a hedge to enclose it.
Howes installed a seat facing the hill near where Janet used to live, and he often visits to relax and reflect. The heart can only be reached via a pathway leading to its tip, making it all the more special.
The heart and the daffodils planted in its center, which bloom in the spring, are a beautiful tribute to Howes’ late wife.
Collett, who flew over the field approximately five years ago, described the heart as the most stunning sight he has ever seen from the skies, and he called it a wonderful way to remember Howes’ beloved wife.