The Penn State Master Gardeners workshop on African violets, held April 23 at Blocker’s Coffeehouse, 309 Front St., Catasauqua, was enthusiastically received, as approximately 55 people crowded the adjacent room.

The program was part of a new outreach effort by both the Master Gardener and Master Watershed Steward entities, which partner with small local businesses like coffee shops, cafes and craft breweries to help support small local businesses by highlighting their ties to local agricultural businesses and bringing in new clientele, according to Brad Kunsman, Penn State Extension educator.

“We were happy to have them; it’s great for business,” said Elwood, manager of Blocker’s.

Kunsman said the volunteers chose African violets because there has been an uptick of calls to the Extension about houseplants since the beginning of the pandemic, and these are one of the plants many people struggle with.

“Other workshops on houseplants we’ve offered with great success are a program on succulents and one on bog gardening with carnivorous plants. We also plan to offer a cactuses workshop later this year,” he said.

For a fee of $15, attendees received a violet of their choice, soil and a plant “mug” in which to place it, as well as an informative PowerPoint presentation given by garden educator and columnist Sue Kittek, who answered questions throughout the event.

Topics covered included origin, commercial history of the plant, types available, cultivation and propagation. Websites for species identification and help diagnosing problems were offered as well.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Master Gardeners program, it was established to assist the Penn State Extension in providing horticultural knowledge and skills to local communities and the gardening public, according to its website. It is manned by volunteers who, after completing their training, help the community in various ways.

For more information, visit the Master Gardener program - Penn State Extension at psu.edu.