Off The Record
To Honor His Deceased Wife, The Husband Plants 1,000 Trees, But An Aerial Photo Taken 17 Years Later Reveals His True Motivation
In 1962, Winston and Janet Howes tied the knot in the British town of Stroud. As farmers with a family, they spent many years living together in South Gloucestershire.
That was before tragedy struck in 1995, when Janet passed away from heart failure following 33 happy years of marriage. She had just turned fifty.
A Husband’s Tribute
At that moment, Mr. Howes made the decision to design a stunning homage to his life’s love. Until a hot air balloon passed over it in 2012 and the balloonist saw trees that were tastefully placed, it was a well-kept secret.
Keen hot air balloonist Andy Collett, 42, from Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, was on one of his regular balloon flights in July 2012 when he noticed the grand romantic gesture hidden in the middle of the six-acre field. He said, speaking to the Telegraph: “I have my own balloon and am quite a regular flyer—but this was the most amazing sight I have ever seen from the sky.”
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, continuing, “It was a perfect heart hidden away from view—you would not know it was there.” The sweet tribute can only be seen from an aerial view, so it’s no wonder it was a hidden gem of the Gloucestershire countryside for 17 years.
Mr. Howes’ idea was to create a place where he and his son could visit on difficult days when the loss of their wife and mother became all too much. Speaking of his plan, he said, “I thought it was a great idea—it was a flash of inspiration—and I planted several thousand oak trees.” He drew a large hedge around an acre-long heart using the trees as markers. Despite being right next to a road, the hedge kept it secluded and hidden from ground view.
Wife’s Legacy
In South Gloucestershire, close to Wickwar, Mr. Howes has a farm that spans 112 acres. After housewife Janet passed away more than 20 years ago, he made the decision to plant her legacy. Regarding the massive undertaking, he remarked, “We got people in especially to do it—there are several thousand trees.”
“We planted large oak trees around the edge of the heart then decided to put a hedge around it too.” Once it was completed, they decided to put a seat in the field overlooking the hill near where Janet lived. The heart-shaped secret meadow is only accessible via a path originating at the bottom of the heart, which points towards the town where Janet was born. “I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things,” said Mr. Howes.
For a final romantic touch, Mr. Howes commented,, “We plant daffodils in the middle that come up in the spring—it looks great. I go out there from time to time and sit in the seat I created.” In 2012, Mr. Howes said, “I also flew over it myself about five years ago, allowing him a private viewing of his creation before it became famous. In the words of Andy Collett,” you can just imagine the love story’ behind creating such a beautiful tribute to a spouse.
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