About Us

Our mission

Our mission is to have a large selection of quality herb bedding plants for you to take back to your garden, patio or deck and start exploring in a new way.  As we bring you with us through the summer, we will be sharing our favourite recipes and growing tips and encourage you to reach out to us with yours as well. We want to be your herb plant supplier and get you excited about what you are growing and making at home.

Our focus on flavour and function strives to inspire gardeners to try both classic and new-to-you herbs to expand their reach in the garden and in their kitchens. We are passionate about exploring international cuisines as well as improving habitats for beneficial insects, and we want to bring that home to you. 

Who are we, and why do we love herbs?

We are Robyn Reist and Kaila Hamilton, and we started Bergamot & Basil to increase accessibility to a diverse selection of culinary and pollinator-friendly herbs for Saskatoon-area gardeners.

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We are longtime friends-turned-business-partners who are passionate about learning and growing plants. We can not wait to start meeting you at farmers’ markets around Saskatoon this summer!!

Kaila Hamilton has a M.Sc. in Plant Sciences with 10 years experience in research and development, and she’s always been interested in growing specialty plants. Her background in horticulture and experience from her own family farm bring a breadth of plant-based knowledge. In her spare time she loves to be cooking, spending time at the lake and doing pretty much anything with her two beloved beagles.

Robyn Reist is an engineer by trade, currently consulting in occupational safety. She also has a M.Sc. in community and population health and is enrolled in the Prairie Horticulture Certificate program at the U of S – needless to say she loves to learn! As a vegetable gardener, nature lover, and local food fanatic, she is excited to be combining several passions here at Bergamot & Basil.

Behind the scenes, our talented husbands Jason and Brahm have been a huge part of this journey, as bookkeepers, webmasters, builders, and everything in between. You will likely also see them helping out with in-person sales at the Market!

We also want to give a shoutout to the (now-retired) business that is our inspiration – Helga’s Herbs of the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Helga has been incredibly supportive and helpful to us as we work to become Saskatoon’s go-to herb producer!