By Nancy Ngo
From Star Tribune
Roseville–As a child growing up in Minnesota’s North Woods, Chuck Levine spent his free time studying plant life.
He foraged for and pressed plant leaves. Neighbors gave him flora to bring home and grow. His family nurtured his budding green thumb, too.
“My mom would buy the plants, seed packets, and I started growing things like orange trees in the windowsill,” he said. “I had a whole indoor fruit orchard — pineapple, pomegranates, papayas. You can grow all kinds of fruit indoors.”
His fondness for studying fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants and more turned into a full-time career for Levine, who recently retired as a horticultural educator….