Seventeen years ago, Janet, the wife of Howard Howes, passed away. In the following months, he planted numerous oak seedlings in a six-acre field beside his farmhouse, creating a heart-shaped meadow in the center as a tribute to her. From the heart’s center, Janet’s childhood home is visible.
When Andy Collett, a 42-year-old hot air balloon enthusiast, flew over the woods, he spotted the heart-shaped meadow and captured its beauty in photos, revealing the hidden tribute created by Howard Howes.
Howes, now 70, explained that he had the idea to create a heart in the clearing of the field as a homage to his late wife, Janet. He felt it was a fantastic and inspired idea, and thus planted thousands of oak trees. After completing the meadow, he even installed a seat facing the hill where Janet used to live.
Sometimes, Howes goes down to the heart-shaped meadow simply to relax and reflect on things. The enduring tribute to his late wife will continue to exist for a long time, he remarked.
Howes owns a farm of 112 acres in Wickwar, Gloucestershire, where he married Janet in 1962. Sadly, she passed away in 1995 at the age of 50 due to heart failure.
The hidden heart meadow can only be accessed by a pathway that leads up to its tip.
To plant the several thousand trees needed for the heart-shaped meadow, Howes hired a team of individuals specifically for this purpose. They planted large oak trees along the edges of the heart and decided to enclose it with a hedge. The heart’s location indicates that Janet hailed from Wotton Hill. To beautify the meadow’s center, they planted daffodils that bloom in the spring. Howes often visits the meadow and sits on the seat he constructed.
Howes also mentioned that he flew over the meadow approximately five years ago.
Collett, who has his own balloon and is a frequent flyer, remarked that he had seen many beautiful sights from the sky, but the heart-shaped meadow was the most stunning of all. The hidden heart was a gorgeous sight that one would never suspect was there. He couldn’t help but imagine the love story behind it.
It is a lovely way to honor his dear wife’s memory.
