Seventeen years after losing his beloved wife Janet, 70-year-old farmer Howard Howes created one of the most touching tributes imaginable—a heart-shaped meadow hidden among thousands of oak trees.
The six-acre heart, planted on his farm near Wickwar, Gloucestershire, points directly toward Janet’s childhood home, symbolizing the lasting bond they shared.
A Living Memorial of Love
Howard and Janet married in 1962 and spent more than three decades together before Janet passed away in 1995 at just 50 years old. In the months that followed, Howard poured his grief into a lasting tribute. He planted thousands of oak saplings across a wide field, leaving a heart-shaped clearing at the center.
“I came up with the idea after Janet died—it was a flash of inspiration,” Howard explained. “We planted several thousand trees, and once it was completed, we put a seat overlooking the hill where she grew up. I sometimes go there just to sit and think about her. It’s a lovely and lasting tribute that will be here for years.”
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