In 2012, a story emerged about British farmer Howard Howes, who created a living tribute to his late wife Janet by planting thousands of oak trees across six acres in Wickwar, Gloucestershire. At the center, he left a heart-shaped clearing pointing toward Janet’s childhood home on Wotton Hill.

Howard and Janet married in 1962, but she passed away in 1995 at just 50 from heart failure. To honor her, Howard planted “several thousand oak trees around the perimeter, with a seat placed within the heart where he could sit and reflect on their life together.”

The heart-shaped meadow remained hidden for years until hot air balloonist Andy Collett spotted it from above, describing it as “the most remarkable view I have ever seen.”

Howard hired help for the planting, added hedges to frame the design, and planted daffodils that bloom every spring. He explained, “I also flew over it myself about five years ago.”

The carefully designed heart continues to flourish, a powerful symbol of love and memory. As Collett put it, it is “a hidden expression of love” that will endure for generations.