Picking up a shovel in 1995, Winston Howes turned his sorrow into something beautiful. As the English farmer grieved the death of his wife Janet, he planted oak trees on their property—not at random, but according to a plan that would take almost 20 years to complete.
The outcome was a stunning heart-shaped clearing covering six acres, its point carefully aimed toward Janet’s family house. While neighbors appreciated the spreading woodland, the romantic secret at its center remained hidden until an aerial shot uncovered Winston’s masterwork in 2012.
Winston added, “People need something to help them through the pain,” in reference to his labor of love in the woods. Today, his oaks serve as a living reminder that even the most complex love tales don’t