'Terry's heart': Man keeps up with daffodil heart planted in memory of his younger brother

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WJAR) — For years, a large heart made up of yellow and white daffodils in a Rhode Island town has caught the attention of thousands of people passing by.

Located up on a hill off Route 4 North at Oak Hill Road, more than 7,000 daffodils are perfectly positioned into the shape and many don't know how or why they're there.

“People have no idea why it’s here. I’ve tried to tell the story, people make up stories," said Mike Ashworth. "At a point, you say they can believe what they want but this is the story."

Ashworth said he knows the story because it's something personal.

The daffodil heart is in memory of my kid brother Terry Ashworth who died at the age of 37," said Ashworth. "It was originally installed by Ocean Tides School in memory of him where he was a director and a teacher.

Ashworth said Terry died unexpectedly in a truck fire in 2009.

“Terry lives on in a lot of people's lives. He made a difference to a lot of people," said Ashworth. “Whenever he walked into a room he changed the room. He had a way with kids.”

It was for that reason, Ashworth said in 2010, a year after his death, the Ocean Tides School created the memorial.

Terry was also a member of the Narragansett School Committee and had many friends all over Rhode Island.

I was here for the original planting," said Ashworth. “Since then, what I’ve done is filled in where it was bear and I added six-seven thousand pounds of daffodil bulbs to it. I try to add at least 500 a year. In September or early October I plant them, then I ask the community to come to help me.

According to Ashworth, it's something Terry's family and friends help with each year.

His daughter's co-workers check on things weekly.

He purchases three different kinds of daffodils and strategically places them in the shape of the heart. It takes maintenance and patience but typically, it comes out looking nice.

This is 'Terry’s Huge Heart' and that’s what he had a huge heart," said Ashworth. “He was 6 foot 4 inches, a father, husband, teacher, my brother and a friend to thousands of people.

Ashworth said he named the location on Google "Terry's Heart."

He hopes others appreciate the simplicity and beauty of it as much as he does.

“I usually go to Narragansett once a day and I usually stop once a day," he said. “Enjoy the beauty of it. [I want them] to enjoy the beauty of the heart.”