who are we?

We all know that plants are dynamic, living things, and because we understand so much about our own plants (we carry out trials around the world) we appreciate the subtle differences regarding their growth and habit.

Which is why it’s worthwhile visiting the section of our site which gives you local information – which plants are available; when it’s best to plant, prune and feed them; tips and so on. It’s all here to help you enjoy them more.

BONFIRE ™ begonia. Growing like an orange fireball.

Anthony Tesselaar International Pty. Ltd is an International Project Management Company which has a heavy emphasis on the environment including; the promotion of Environmental Friendly Plants, Research and Development on drought and stress tolerance of plants, Environmental Consultancy and the marketing of innovative Grey/Black water recycle systems.

Our head office is situated in Silvan, 75 minutes drive east of Melbourne, Australia. We operate within a lateral management structure, our highly skilled core team of people are supported by an International Group of highly focused outsourced firms and individuals; strategically positioned on four continents around the world.

What does 'Anthony Tesselaar PLANTS' do?

“We continually search the world looking for plants that are brilliant and colorful, environmental friendly and are easy to grow with a minimum of fuss, and then make them readily available for everyone to enjoy- home gardeners, landscapers and horticulturists everywhere."

Making this possible means dealing with only the best plant breeders worldwide. (Interestingly, over the years we have found that the 'average' time it has taken these breeders to create something special is between 17-25 years!)

Once we have selected a plant that shows these extraordinary traits, they are then extensively tested. We have trial sites in Australia, USA, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand and only after they have been through these various trials, are they entrusted to our grower network. This network of growers - people who share our values of professionalism and quality - then grow-on the plant ready to be delivered to their local garden centre /landscape outlets.

Innovative promotion and market support plays a fundamental role in bringing these new and distinctively different plants onto the market; while underpinning all this is a personal philosophy, based on strong ethical practices and friendships.

It’s a straightforward approach driven by a simple aim – finding exceptional plants that are 'Brilliant by Nature' for everyone.

– Anthony Tesselaar

Our Board

Anthony I. Tesselaar

President & Co-Founder

Anthony has the benefit of three generations of family immersed in horticulture. Beginning his career with the family business in 1965- Tesselaar's Bulbs & Flowers, one of Australia's largest family based floricultural organisations, he worked his way to Joint Owner and Director, with a focus on the marketing, promotion and mail-order operations.

Having developed an innovative model for the sourcing and marketing of truly wonderful plants, Anthony put it to the test with the release of Flower Carpet Roses in 1992. Based on the outstanding success which followed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and North America, Anthony and his wife Sheryl went out on their own and Anthony Tesselaar International Pty Ltd was established in 1994. Since then, other plants and products have been added to the group.

Anthony continues to provide vision and impetus for the business, overseeing all aspects of his company’s growth, to help bring beautiful, easy-care environmental friendly plants and products to the world.

Sheryl D. Tesselaar

Co-Founder

Sheryl has worked closely with Anthony in realising their dream of making Anthony Tesselaar International a world leader in introducing brilliant new plants into the market.

Sheryl has over thirty years experience in horticultural and retail sales, providing an independent overview to ensure the company remains focused on its long-term goals and objectives.

Rodney J. Thorpe

CEO

Besides the demanding role of CEO, Rod oversees all the commercial operations of the company – including finance; administration; legal, trademark and patent issues; to the end of implementation of marketing programs.

Rod has a huge interests in all forms of plants, whether they be trees, perennials or grasses. This knowledge on practicalities of the plant world ensure that we stay focused on plants and business direction that fits our profile.

Prior to joining the company in 1994, Rod worked in Chartered Accountancy for 10 years and with major international service industry companies for a further 10 years.

Phillip Townshend

Global Operations Director

Phillip has responsibility for the development of the business on four different continents. Developing a global business requires excellent project management skills, from managerial, communication, follow through and the ability to handle a multitude issues all at the one time.

Coming from a family that has been involved in flower wholesaling gave him a good grounding in the plant world. More recently, his 20 years in the Navy helped develop outstanding communication skills on ensuring "delivering what you promise".

Ian R. Smith

Technical Consultant

Ian consults on Research & Development in the technical and production aspects of the company. This includes initial trialing and evaluation of the plants, and new research into drought and stress tolerance of all plants that we consider for introducing into the world markets.

He has over 30 years experience in the horticultural industry having worked with the Department of Agriculture in Victoria as Extension Officer, majoring in entomology.