CHINA'S SLIMY BEACH

Massive and unsightly blooms of green algae periodically appear off the beaches of Qingdao, China.

A view of the algae-filled coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province July 15, 2011. Picture taken July 15, 2011. REUTERS/China Daily

A boy swims in the algae-filled coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province July 15, 2011. Picture taken July 15, 2011. REUTERS/China Daily

A paramilitary policeman clears algae along the coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province, July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer

An elderly volunteer helps to clear algae from the coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Nir Elias

A general view shows a bathing beach where local volunteers clear away a huge new patch of algae in Qingdao, Shandong province July 6, 2008. REUTERS/Nir Elias

HEART-SHAPED MEADOW FOR LATE WIFE

A devoted farmer painstakingly planted a tribute to his late wife, Janet, using 6,000 oak trees to etch out a giant heart in the middle of his field in South Gloucestershire, England. Howes, 70, and a gardener spent weeks planning and setting out each oak after his wife died suddenly 15 years ago. He planted the fledgling trees across a six-acre field after carefully marking out a heart shape in one half of the grass, with the heart pointing in the direction of her childhood home. The stunning crop was captured in its full beauty after a balloonist sailed over the farmhouse and photographed the field from the air.

 

A heart-shaped meadow, created by a farmer as a tribute to his late wife, can be seen from the air near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire. The point of the heart points towards Wotton Hill, where his wife was born. (SWNS.com)

A giant heart formed with 6000 oak trees which Winston Howes planted in memory of his late wife Janet. (Andy Collett / SWNS.com)