North Catasauqua Borough has a new garden center. Mosaic Home & Garden opened Nov. 10, 2021, with little fanfare, in the space formerly occupied by Hickory Grove Greenhouses.

Hickory Grove closed in late 2020, after 103 years in business, due to the death of owner James Eline. The closing left a void felt keenly by home gardeners throughout the area.

The new business, at the corner of Milton and Grove streets, just off Howertown Road, should help to fill that void.

Owner Joe Moussa said he’s fulfilling a dream and honoring his father at the same time.

“The home and garden thing is something I wanted to start with my dad,” Moussa said. “We talked about it for 10 years, but then he passed away five years ago.”

The idea, however, lived on.

Moussa’s other business, Mosaic and Company at 2947 N. Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown, does floral design for weddings, corporate and other major events and used to do planning, photography and rentals as well.

As Moussa describes it, he’d be working events, and, in the back of his mind, he was always thinking, ‘I want to do this. I want to do this!’

“When this popped up, it just made a lot of sense,” Moussa said. “It’s only 14 minutes from the other location.”

The company’s soft opening Nov. 10, 2021, coincided with his father’s birthday.

With the home and garden center becoming a reality, Moussa decided to amend the services offered by the event business in order to concentrate on the fresh-cut florals and the garden center.

“We have 22,000 square feet of retail space on the property. Getting ready for spring is a colossal undertaking, but somehow, we’re going to do it!” Moussa said.

The main space, which is currently open for business, continues to evolve as they change plant groupings and add products. It will be the primary retail space with houseplants, florals, things for the home and gifts.

As spring approaches, the back houses will have everything for the home garden, including herbs, vegetables, flowering annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, mulches and soils.

As far as the types of plants they’ll be offering, Moussa said he’s taking his cues from customers who used to frequent Hickory Grove. Many have stopped in to check out the greenhouse and talk to him about what they’re looking for. He said he’d like to move toward greener products and possibly some native plants in the future, but it all depends on what customers are asking for.

The business will also be offering classes in wreath making, terrariums and kokedama, to name a few. They want to do some things just for kids, and there is the possibility of hot yoga in the greenhouse. The full event calendar should be out in early March.

Moussa is a man of many interests, each of which has helped him along his way. With degrees in biology, chemistry and psychology, he was a pharmaceutical sales representative when he started photographing weddings as a side gig. Through that, his interest in florals grew.

“The design part was really intriguing to me,” he said.

When his sister got married, he did a portion of her florals, but it was enough to get the ball rolling. From her wedding, he got other weddings - and so the event business was born.

The garden/greenhouse side of the business came from his father and grandfather.

“My family has always had a green thumb,” he said. “I have other family who own garden centers as well, and there’s a long history of farming in the family. I’ve always enjoyed plants, especially in my personal spaces, because I like what they do to the ambience and just how they make you feel. That, coupled with my dad wanting to create a place like this, is how I wound up here.”

Although he is the sole owner, Moussa’s mother runs the business with him, and his brothers help out on the weekends. However, he knows he’s going to need plenty more help to get everything up and running before the weather warms up. He plans to post positions for both back and front retail spaces sometime after Valentine’s Day.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, Mosaic will be offering fresh-cut florals, plenty of gifts and flowering potted plants to help celebrate that special someone.

The shop is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, except for 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays.

Moussa believes there’s something special about seeing something through from start to finish - for example, planting a seed and growing it through the season until it produces fruit that you then serve at your dinner table.

He is also passionate about making things beautiful and enjoying the spaces we live in. All of these things come together in gardening.

“I don’t think there’s any more exciting spring and summer activity than home gardening,” he said.