Barneblad: How does your Norwegian garden grow?
Brought to you by Lori Ann Reinhall
Nellik – Carnation
Flowers are colorful and fragrant, bringing beauty and joy into our lives. Think about the smile that you can put on someone’s face when you bring them a bouquet of posies. It tells them you care about them and that they are special to you. A pretty flower can say so much.
This custom of giving flowers is especially important in Norway, a land of flowers—just think about all the beautiful pictures you’ve seen in this issue! Roses, tulips, carnations, irises, daisies, and lilies are all very popular in Norway, and as luck will have, you can also find these flowers here closer to home. That means you can create your own Norwegian flower bouquet for someone you love, even if you can’t get to Norway just now.
Explore the world of flowers
There are many ways to learn about the world of flowers. One activity is to first learn their names and what they look like. Once you know what the flowers are called, why not go out with your family on a flower adventure? You might be able to do this in your own backyard, or you can all walk through the neighborhood together and look for the flower you’ve learned about. You are sure to see many beautiful, amazing things along the way!
Care for your flowers
If you have a flower garden at home, ask your parents if you can help take care of it. This might mean checking on the flowers to make sure they are getting enough water. Ask to help with the watering—it can be fun!
Make a bouquet
There is nothing more fun that picking flowers—but make sure you have permission to do this first. If you like roses, your parents will have to help you cut the stems—and watch out for the thorns! You can tie your flowers up in a bouquet with a pretty ribbon or put them in a vase with fresh water. If you simply don’t have access to any fresh flowers to pick or cut, ask your parents to take you on an outing to the grocery store to buy some.
Color your world
If flowers are out of season or you simply can’t get any at all, why not draw and color your own? You can use the photos above as your inspiration. Use crayons, chalk, or watercolors to create an entire flower garden. Another project is to cut flowers out of colored construction paper. Again, you can create an entire garden this way. You may also want to paste the flowers on one sheet of paper to make a pretty picture to hang on the wall.
Plant your own
Finally, it may be time to plant your very own flowers. Talk to your parents about helping out in the flower bed—it is so fun to dig in the dirt, plant seeds or bulbs, and watch them grow. If you don’t have a yard, small indoor pots can be filled with dirt, planted, and cared for until a beautiful flower emerges. Why not plant your very own Norwegian flower garden!
Activity: Match the flower’s English names with the picture and Norwegian names (print)
This article originally appeared in the May 27, 2022, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
