Personal life

He was born in Østre Gausdal

Østre Gausdal

Østre Gausdal is a former municipality in Oppland county, Norway.It was created when Gausdal was split into Østre and Vestre Gausdal in 1879. At that time Østre Gausdal had a population of 5,911....

 as a son of educators Matias Skard

Matias Skard

Matias Skard was a Norwegian philologist, educator, psalmist, essayist and translator, a brother of folklorist Johannes Skar....

 (1846–1927) and his first wife Marie Bø (1849–1883). He was a nephew of Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar was a Norwegian folklorist, a brother of educator Matias Skard. His main contribution is the work Gamalt or Sætesdal , a collection of eight volumes of folklore from the valley Setesdal.-References:...

 and Per Bø and a half-brother of Torfinn

Torfinn Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Faaberg as a son of educator Matias Skard and his second wife Nilsine Kristiane Myhre . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar, Christopher Bruun and Per Bø and a half-brother of Olav Skard and Bjarne, Eiliv and Sigmund Skard...

, Bjarne

Bjarne Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901. He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Christopher Bruun, a brother of Eiliv and Sigmund Skard and a half-brother of Olav and Torfinn Skard...

, Eiliv

Eiliv Skard

Eiliv Skard was a Norwegian classical philologist.-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901...

 and Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard was a Norwegian poet, essayist and professor of literature.He was born in Kristiansand as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Christopher Bruun, a brother of Bjarne and Eiliv Skard and a half-brother of Olav and Torfinn...

. When Sigmund Skard married Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard was a Norwegian psychologist, and a pioneer in the field of the bringing up of children. She lectured at the University of Oslo from 1947 to 1973. She edited the magazine Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift from 1936 to 1970. She wrote 24 books and almost 2,000 journal articles...

, Åsa became Olav's sister-in-law, and he was also an uncle of Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Oslo as a son of Åse Gruda Skard and Sigmund Skard, and through Åse the grandson of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht. He has two sisters Torild Skard and Målfrid Grude Flekkøy, who are twins, and himself has a twin...

, Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

-Personal life:She was born in Oslo as a daughter of Sigmund Skard and Åse Gruda Skard . She is a sister of Halvdan Skard and twin sister of Torild Skard. Through her mother, she is a granddaughter of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht, and through her father she is a granddaughter Matias Skard and...

 and Torild Skard

Torild Skard

Torild Skard is a Norwegian psychologist and researcher, feminist, politician for the Socialist Left Party, civil servant and former high-ranking United Nations official . She served as a Member of Parliament, President of its upper chamber and Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice...

.

In February 1908 he married Wally Bjerregaard (1879–1966).

Career

He grew up in Gausdal

Gausdal

Gausdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru...

 and Levanger

Levanger

Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...

, and attended gardening

Gardening

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...

 school in Hylla

Hylla

Hylla is a village in the municipality of Inderøy in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Hylla is located along the Trondheimsfjord, about south of Røra and about east of Straumen/Sakshaug. The village has a population of 397. The population density of Hylla is . The village is home to a large...

, before enrolling at the Norwegian College of Agriculture, where he graduated in gardening in 1904. He was a teacher at various gardening schools from 1904 to 1918, and from 1919 to 1934 he was a secretary in Selskapet Havedyrkningens Venner

Norwegian Horticulture Society

The Norwegian Horticulture Society is an interest organisation in Norway.It was established as Selskabet Havedyrkningens Venner in 1884. Its purpose is to promote gardening interests. It issues the magazine Norsk Hagetidend. Chairman of the board is Ole Petter Vik, and the organizational...

 (SVH) and editor of their magazine Norsk Hagetidend. From 1921 he was also a board member of SVH, and he later became an honorary member. He was appointed as a professor at the Norwegian College of Agriculture in 1934, and remained there until 1956 (he officially retired in 1951). In 1948 he was appointed a Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He died in May 1965 in Oslo.