GARDENA is a German brand specialising in garden care, with a focus on watering systems, garden tools, lawn care, irrigation, battery-powered equipment, robotics and smart gardening solutions. Established in Ulm, Germany, in 1961, the company evolved from a small trading firm into one of Europe’s most recognised residential gardening brands. It currently operates as the Gardena Division of Husqvarna Group, with products available in more than 100 countries 1.

Rather than marketing individual tools in isolation, GARDENA positions itself as a provider of interconnected systems designed to simplify garden maintenance. Its portfolio ranges from basic hand tools and hose connectors to automated irrigation networks and robotic lawn mowers.

Foundation and early years

GARDENA was founded in 1961 in Ulm, West Germany, by salesmen Werner Kress and Eberhard Kastner. In its initial phase, the business operated primarily as an importer of garden tools from France rather than a manufacturer of proprietary systems.

The company’s subsequent expansion was driven by a strategic shift towards compatibility. Instead of treating each garden tool as a standalone product, GARDENA began developing integrated systems of products and accessories designed to work together seamlessly.

The Original GARDENA System

A significant milestone occurred in 1968 with the introduction of the Original GARDENA System. This innovation allowed various watering accessories, including tap connectors, hose fittings and watering devices, to be connected and exchanged rapidly. The system’s distinctive orange-and-grey colour scheme became synonymous with the brand.

This development established a core principle that continues to define the company: a single system enabling compatibility across multiple products to simplify gardening tasks. By creating an ecosystem where accessories interoperate, GARDENA moved away from requiring consumers to source unrelated components from different manufacturers.

Expansion into system gardening

Following the success of its watering system, GARDENA applied the concept of modularity to other product categories. Key developments included:

• 1973: Entry into cordless gardening with the Accu Grande grass-edging shear.
• 1977: Launch of the GARDENA combisystem, a modular tool system allowing various heads to be attached to a common handle.
• 1990: Introduction of the GARDENA accu-system V12, the GARDENA Sprinklersystem and the GARDENA Micro-Drip-System.

These innovations facilitated the company’s transition from a supplier of individual garden tools to a comprehensive garden-care systems provider.

Husqvarna Group acquired GARDENA in 2006. At the time of acquisition, GARDENA was described as a European leader in consumer irrigation products, holding strong market positions in garden tools, ponds, pumps and electric garden equipment.

GARDENA has been part of Husqvarna Group since 2007. While it benefits from the parent company’s resources and technical expertise, it maintains considerable brand independence. Today, GARDENA stands alongside Husqvarna as one of the group’s principal global brands. Husqvarna Group conducts its operations primarily under these two brands, serving customers in over 100 countries.

GARDENA offers a broad range of products categorised into several key areas relevant to residential gardening.

Watering

Watering remains the category most closely associated with the brand, building upon the foundation laid by the Original GARDENA System. Products in this category include:

• Garden hoses and hose connectors
• Tap connectors and spray guns
• Oscillating and circular sprinklers
• Irrigation controllers and automatic irrigation systems
• Pumps and micro-irrigation systems
• Underground sprinkler systems
• Smart irrigation products

Husqvarna Group describes its Gardena Division as the global market leader in residential watering and smart gardening systems.

Lawn care

The lawn care range combines conventional equipment with automated technology. Products include:

• Lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers
• Grass shears and lawn edging tools
• Lawn rakes, aerators and scarifiers
• Battery-powered lawn equipment

Recent innovations integrate artificial intelligence into lawn maintenance. For example, the smart SILENO sense robotic mower utilises camera-based AI navigation and is designed for lawns up to 600 m². Husqvarna Group highlighted this model as a key smart-gardening product in its 2025 annual report.

GARDENA combisystem

Introduced in 1977, the GARDENA combisystem exemplifies the brand’s philosophy of modularity. The system allows users to pair a single handle with various interchangeable tool heads for tasks such as raking, sweeping, hoeing, soil cultivation, weeding and cleaning. This approach reduces the need for multiple dedicated tools with separate handles.

Micro-Drip-System

Launched in 1990, the GARDENA Micro-Drip-System represents a shift towards precision irrigation. Rather than watering entire areas indiscriminately, this system delivers controlled amounts of water directly to plant roots. It is suitable for flower beds, vegetable gardens, hedges, potted plants, greenhouses, terraces and balconies, reflecting a modern emphasis on efficient water use.

Smart gardening

In 2016, GARDENA launched its smart system, marking a strategic transition towards connected gardening. This platform integrates digital controls and automation to manage routine garden tasks. Capabilities include automated watering, irrigation scheduling based on soil and weather data, connected pumps, robotic mowing and smartphone control. Husqvarna Group views this system as integral to promoting sustainable gardening and optimised water usage.

Battery-powered products

GARDENA produces a substantial range of cordless equipment for grass cutting, hedge trimming, pruning, blowing and cleaning. These tools utilise shared battery platforms, eliminating the need for separate power sources for each device. Since 2020, GARDENA’s battery ecosystem has been part of the POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE, established with Bosch and Husqvarna Group, which enables cross-brand battery compatibility among participating manufacturers.

GARDENA’s competitive identity is defined by several core concepts:

• System thinking: Products are designed as part of a larger ecosystem rather than standalone items, as demonstrated by the Original GARDENA System.
• Ease of use: The brand targets ordinary homeowners, prioritising accessibility over professional-grade complexity.
• Modularity: Systems like the combisystem allow single components to serve multiple functions.
• Automation: Recent product lines increasingly automate repetitive maintenance tasks.
• Resource efficiency: Smart watering and controlled irrigation technologies aim to reduce unnecessary water consumption.

Husqvarna Group’s 2025 annual report identifies smart watering, convenience and resource efficiency as critical long-term growth drivers for the Gardena Division.

GARDENA possesses a distinct visual identity anchored by its signature orange colour, which has been associated with the brand since the 1968 launch of the Original GARDENA System. The company regards this colour as an iconic element of its heritage.

The brand’s visual language communicates practicality, technological reliability, accessibility and modern European design. It frames gardening as a lifestyle pursuit rather than merely a chore, distinguishing GARDENA from brands focused exclusively on heavy-duty outdoor power equipment.

GARDENA primarily serves residential gardeners and homeowners, broadly categorised into four segments:

• Casual gardeners: Users requiring basic hoses, watering accessories, pruners, hand tools and sprinklers.
• Enthusiastic home gardeners: Owners of large lawns, vegetable gardens, flower beds, hedges, trees or greenhouses who are likely to invest in complete systems.
• Technology-oriented homeowners: Early adopters of smart irrigation, robotic mowers and connected garden equipment.
• Sustainability-conscious gardeners: Consumers seeking to reduce resource consumption through efficient irrigation, battery-powered tools and automated management.

GARDENA and Husqvarna maintain distinct market identities despite sharing corporate ownership.

Both brands function as major pillars of Husqvarna Group’s global operations.

GARDENA has historically maintained a strong presence in Europe, where it is widely recognised for watering equipment and garden tools. Husqvarna Group’s 2025 annual report describes GARDENA as Europe’s leading residential gardening brand and the global leader in residential watering and smart gardening systems.

According to the same report, the estimated global residential market for the division is approximately SEK 70 billion, with Europe and North America constituting the largest geographic markets.

Sustainability is central to GARDENA’s positioning, particularly given its focus on water management. The company’s strategy incorporates technologies designed to deliver water precisely, automate irrigation, reduce wastage and improve maintenance efficiency. Additionally, the shift towards battery-powered alternatives aims to replace petrol-powered equipment and automate repetitive tasks.

These initiatives address growing concerns regarding water scarcity, energy consumption and resource efficiency in residential gardening. Husqvarna Group identifies smart watering as a significant long-term growth opportunity, driven by increasing demand for convenience and sustainable resource use.

GARDENA’s primary contribution to the gardening industry extends beyond individual tools to the concept of the garden as an integrated system. Historically, gardening products were purchased as discrete items. GARDENA popularised an alternative approach centred on compatible accessories, modular tools and automation.

This evolution is evident throughout the brand’s history, progressing from the Original GARDENA System to the combisystem, integrated irrigation, battery platforms, smart gardening and robotic solutions. Consequently, GARDENA has shifted its focus from manufacturing tools to providing comprehensive garden-management systems.

As of 2026, GARDENA operates as the Gardena Division of Husqvarna Group. Its portfolio encompasses traditional hand tools, watering products, irrigation systems, lawn-care equipment, battery-powered tools, robotic mowers and connected smart-garden technologies 2.

Husqvarna Group’s 2025 reporting describes the division as offering the market’s most comprehensive range of gardening products for residential customers, while emphasising smart gardening and automated solutions as key areas for future development 3. The brand’s trajectory—from individual tools to systems, and subsequently to smart, automated garden management—remains its defining characteristic 4.

1. About GARDENA – GARDENA history – GARDENA
2. Gardena Division | Husqvarna Group
3. About GARDENA – GARDENA history – GARDENA
4. About GARDENA – GARDENA history – GARDENA