GROVETOWN, Ga. () – Hurricane Helene destroyed nearly 30 acres of land. While community members helped clean up most of the debris, there was very little left to keep, they had to make the tough decision to permanently close. 

Rosalynne Burns is the co-owner of the plant farm and says saying goodbye to a legacy they never they never thought they would have to leave behind is gut wrenching. 

“We were thinking it would continue on with our son and daughter-in-law, and our grandchildren, to see that we had to make that decision and now we’re not together, working together so we’ve all day not only just losing of the business here, but working together as a family, we’ve lost that, and that’s hard.”  she says. 

Rosalynne and Joey Burns officially took over Double B Plant Farm in 1987, a business that has been passed down through generations. 

After the hurricane, Rosalynne says they could not drive down the road to the nursey for 2 days. 

Trees and irrigation were up rooted, and power was cut off giving no water to the plants. They tried everything they could to rescue the crops but were unsuccessful. 

Rosalynne says, “It was so devastating, I mean it was initial, it was gone when my husband—when daylight came, he said ‘its gone, the nursery is gone’, it’s just too much, we can’t, it costs too much, the labor is too much to try to build it back.” 

Burns says her favorite memories have been watching her children and grandchildren grow up on the farm, working with family and the close friendships she has created with customers. 

The farm had been in her son’s life throughout childhood and adulthood with the ambition of taking it over himself. 

“He and his wife both were working here as well, so it’s been several generations and so we were hoping for another generation before the storm.” she says.

Most of their plants and equipment have been taken by customers or other nurseries in the area.

Burns says it is going to be a big change not seeing thousands of plants right outside their door.

“We were just used to a beautiful garden out here. It’s going to be a little disappointing to see what, we always call it the time of the Masters, it was just beautiful, with all of the azaleas and things blooming, we’re not going to have that this year, so it’s going to be different.” 

The farm does not have a set date to close, they are selling the rest of their plants and equipment by appointment only.