Husband Plants 6,000 Trees To Honor Deceased Wife, 15 Years Later Photos Reveal His True Motive
After losing his wife Janet 17 years ago, Howard Howes created a touching tribute to her memory. On his farm in Gloucestershire, he planted thousands of oak saplings across a six-acre field, deliberately leaving a heart-shaped meadow at its center.
The tip of the heart points toward Janet’s childhood home, a deeply personal detail in his design. For years, this heartfelt gesture remained a hidden secret, known only to Howes and those who visited his land.
The tribute was unexpectedly revealed when hot air balloon enthusiast Andy Collett flew over the area. From the sky, he captured the striking and perfectly shaped heart hidden among the growing trees.
Now 70 years old, Howes explained that the idea came to him in a flash of inspiration after Janet’s death. He planted several thousand trees and placed a bench within the meadow where he often sits to reflect.
The heart is bordered by oak trees and a hedge, with daffodils blooming in the center each spring. A small track allows access to the secluded spot, which Howes describes as a lasting and lovely tribute.
Collett, who discovered the symbol by chance, described it as the most amazing sight he had ever seen from the sky. He remarked that the hidden heart tells a beautiful love story without words.
Howes married Janet in 1962, and she passed away from heart failure at the age of 50. His living memorial ensures that her memory continues to grow and inspire, season after season.
