11 Canadian Seed Companies Every Gardener Should Try

Looking for high-quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds? Grab everything you need for your home garden and support local businesses at the same time!

I've compiled a helpful list with several Canadian seed companies that deliver right to your doorstep.

I've even included price comparisons and shipping information so you can find the best options for your budget and gardening needs.

Winter may have frozen our gardens solid, but that doesn't mean we can't start ordering seeds for the growing season! 

As the snow blankets the ground, now is the perfect time to plan for spring by purchasing the seeds we want to plant this year. 

Ordering well before the warm weather arrives ensures that you'll have access to more varieties before they sell out.

Plus, you'll be able to get a jump start on your seed starting – setting you up for a successful season.

If you're looking for Canadian seed companies that allow you to order seed online and ship straight to your door, then keep reading!

🌿 If you're thinking about growing vegetables for the first time, check out my list of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed!

Jump to Section:

• What I've Included in this Article
• Kitchen Table Seed House
• West Coast Seeds
• Ontario Seed Company Ltd.
• Northern Wildflowers
• McKenzie Seeds
• William Dam Seeds
• Veseys
• T & T Seeds
• Heirloom Seeds Canada
• Pangea Seeds
• Gaia Organics

What I've Included in this Article

• 11 Canadian seed companies that I've personally ordered from
• Links to all of their website and any available catalogues
• Details about each company including their location and if they sell certified organic etc.
• Current shipping prices within Canada (accurate as of April 8, 2024)
• The price of 1 packet of basil seeds from each company, including the final cost with shipping to an address in Southern Ontario

When comparing prices, be sure to take into consideration the amount of seeds in the packet and how many seeds you need for your particular gardening needs.

I hope you'll find this list helpful!

A Note on Non-GMO

All of these companies are committed to selling non-GMO seeds.

In fact, I haven't found a single brand that sells GMO seeds to home gardeners in my last four years of gardening.

💡 Did You Know? GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, which means the seeds were genetically engineered by introducing the genes of unrelated species instead of being cultivated through pollination. This is not the same as hybridization.

Kitchen Table Seed House

Kitchen Table Seed House has quickly become one of my favourite garden seed companies to buy flower, vegetable and herb seeds from. 

I'm particularly fond of their Tango celery, which grows throughout summer and fall!

All their seeds are non-GMO and open pollinated, meaning you can save them from your garden and plant them next year.

Kitchen Table Seed House focuses on offering varieties that are well-suited to their region of Southeastern Ontario.

If you live in Ontario, these seeds are probably going to grow very well for you. I've had a lot of success with their seeds myself.

Kitchen Table Seed House grows over 75% of their seed varieties in their own fields, sourcing the rest from other certified organic seed farmers (such as the Hudson Valley Seed Company in New York).

To find out if a particular seed has been sourced from another farm, you just have to read the product listing.

Kitchen Table Seed Company products can be purchased online from their website, and I believe they are sold in some retail stores as well.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 100 Genovese Basil seeds costs $4.95 on it's own, and costs $10.05 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Orders ship via Canada Post. Standard shipping rates start at $3.95 for orders valued up to $11.99. Beyond that, rates vary depending on the value of the order and which province it is being shipped to.

West Coast Seeds

Another one of my favourite Canadian seed companies is West Coast Seeds. I've been buying their seeds since 2021 and have been a brand ambassador for them since 2022.

This company, founded in 1983, is known for their non-GMO seeds that are never chemically treated. 

They offer certified organic, heirloom, and open-pollinated seeds as well as hybrid varieties. According to their website, their expansive seed collection is "ethically sourced from sustainable growers around the globe."

I've grown vegetables, herbs, flowers, microgreens and sprouts from West Coast Seeds, and almost everything has grown well for me.

I'm a big fan of their commitment to education and the level of detail that they put into their website and seed packets. 

Their catalogue also contains helpful gardening tips and handy charts to help you grow everything successfully.

If you like growing green beans, you should check out their Ferrari bean seeds. They're great for containers!

West Coast Seeds products can be purchased online or in retails stores across the country.

💲Price Comparison: A packet of 530 (1 gram) Genovese Basil seeds costs $3.89 on it's own, and costs $15.68 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Shipping within Canada is a flat rate of $9.99 for shipping and handling orders up to 500g. For shipments over 500g, standard carrier rates apply. This company can also ship certain items to the United States and a $9.99 flat rate applies to USA orders up to 250g.

Ontario Seed Company Ltd.

OSC (Ontario Seed Company) Seeds is one of the largest and oldest Canadian-owned and operated seed packet companies in the country.

They were established in the late 1800's, their central facility is now located in Kitchener, Ontario, although they do have a brick-and-mortar store inside of a Home Hardware store in Waterloo.

All of their seeds are certified organic and non-GMO, although they say they are sourced “from all over the world."

They offer a full line of products including over 30 herbs, 250 vegetables, 240 annuals and 100 perennials and biennials suitable for Canada's various climate zones.

OSC Seeds products can be purchased online from their website, or in retails stores across the country.

Note: OSC Seeds specifically says that their seeds are meant for gardening and should not be sprouted to be eaten as fresh sprouts. However, if you do want to grow your own spouts for eating it's best to buy seeds or legumes specifically intended for that purpose.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 250 Genovese Basil seeds costs $2.19 on it's own, and costs $7.87 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: The website does not list their shipping fees, but the minimum rate at checkout seems to be $4.70 to ship within Ontario, Canada. However, the more you buy the lower your shipping costs become. My recent order had a total value of $21.85 and shipped for free.

Northern Wildflowers

I came across the Nothern Wildflowers seed company late last year (2023), and found that they had a nice variety of wildflower and vegetable seeds.

This family-owned business was founded in 2012 and grows over 30 varieties of native wildflower seed on their 40 acre farm.

They also support over 20 small farms and wild collectors who supplement their seed supply. 

Cutleaf Seeds, an offshoot of Northern Wildflowers, was created in 2021. This line of 100% Canadian farmer grown, short season heirloom vegetable seed varieties are available on the Northern Wildflower company website.

All of their seeds are pollinator friendly, non-GMO, untreated and chemical free.

Bonus: Northern Wildflowers gives their customers a holiday gift in the form of a voucher for a free seed packet.

Northern Wildflower seeds can be purchased online from their website or in retail stores across Canada.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 140 Bloomsdale Spinach seeds (they don't have Genovese Basil) costs $4.00 on it's own, and costs $7.91 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: The website does not list their shipping fees, but the minimum rate at checkout seems to be $3.00 to ship within Ontario, Canada.

McKenzie Seeds

McKenzie Seeds is another huge seed company that has been around since the 1800s (1896 to be exact), although they were purchased by Jiffy Canada in 2008.

This company offers a selection of non-GMO flower and vegetable seeds.
This year their packaging includes a new “It Grows Here Guarantee", which a representative from their company says "signifies our commitment to offering seeds that are well-suited to Canadian climates."

Although McKenzie sources their seeds globally, their representative also mentioned that the guarantee "assures you that the seeds we sell are chosen with the intention that they will thrive and grow successfully in various Canadian environments. So, you can trust that when you plant our seeds, you're giving your garden the best chance for success in our unique Canadian conditions."

McKenzie Seeds products can be ordered online from their website, or purchased in-store at retailers across Canada (like Walmart).

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 190-200 Sweet Basil seeds costs $2.19 on it's own, and costs $12.63 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Free shipping within Canada on seed packet orders over $50.00. Otherwise, shipping costs $8.99 and ships via Canada Post Expedited Mail Service.

William Dam Seeds

William Dam Seeds is a family-run company that supplies Canadian farmers and gardeners with vegetable, herb, flower, and greencrop seeds.

They carry some organic seeds, and all of their seeds are non-GMO. While they do have trial-plots on their own farmland, their seed are brought in from 85 seed growing regions of the world.

If you want to buy seeds from William Dam Seeds, you need to plan your garden early. They open pre-orders for seeds in December for fulfillment the following year in mid-January.

Apparently, they need to test and package seeds as close to the order fulfillment season as possible.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of Sweet Basil (no specific quantity or weight listed, averaging 400-700 seeds per gram) costs $2.95 on it's own, and costs $13.44 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Shipping in Canada costs $8.95 for orders that are not oversized and are shipped via Canada Post unless you contact them to request a FedEx or UPS delivery.

Veseys

This company is a popular option for non-GMO seeds, bulbs & perennials, fruits & berries, herbs, as well as other garden tools and accessories.

Established in 1939, Veseys is the largest mail-order gardening company in Canada.

I haven’t been able to find out where their seeds are sourced from, but given the scale of the company and the amount of seeds that they carry, I’m going to assume it’s sourced globally.

Their Little Gem lettuce does very well in the cooler months, and is very tasty.

Veseys seeds can be purchased online or in various retail stores.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 785 Sweet Basil seeds costs $2.90 on it's own, and costs $12.26 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Shipping within Canada costs anywhere from $7.95 to $24.95, depending on the overall cost of your order. Heavy items may be subject to an additional freight charge.

T & T Seeds

T&T Seeds has been supplying mail-order seeds to Canadian provinces since it was founded in 1946.

They offer a wide variety of vegetable and flower seeds, along with flowering bulbs, fruit trees, shrubs, roses, and more.

This company also operates a garden centre in Headingley, Manitoba where they regularly host workshops for their customers.

T&T Seeds can be purchased online from their website or in-store at their garden centre.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 25 Genovese Basil seeds costs $4.55 on it's own, and costs $11.64 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Shipping in Canada costs $5.75 for small seed orders (10 size “A” vegetable or flower seeds packets or less). Orders are shipped with Canada Post.

Heirloom Seeds Canada

I ordered from this company last year purely because I wanted to try growing Roselle Hibiscus and they were the only place that had seeds. I also picked up a few other seeds that I haven’t had a chance to try yet.

While this company is not certified organic, they do offer 400 varieties of naturally-grown non-GMO heirloom seeds. This company offers interesting seeds that you may not be able to find anywhere else.

Bonus: This company also provides a free packet of seeds with every order, which is a nice touch.

💲 Price Comparison: A packet of 500 Genovese Basil seeds costs $3.99 on it's own, and costs $10.34 with taxes and standard shipping to Southern Ontario.

📦 Shipping Rates: Standard shipping costs $5 for orders below $50 and is FREE for orders above $50. These orders are sent via Canada Post lettermail service.

Pangea Seeds

Catering to the average city gardener, Pangea Seeds offers non-GMO sustainably sourced seeds in small quantities that you can use up in just one to two seasons.

These cute tiny packets help to prevent waste (as seed viability decreases the older the seeds get), and allows gardeners to buy seeds at a lower-than-average price point.

Pangea says their heirloom vegetables are sourced from "anything that can be harvested right from [their] property", so they have consistent genetics.

Their hybrids come from a Canadian brand that sources seeds from places around the world.

I haven't grown these seeds myself yet as this brand is new to me. However, I do like that they offer smaller quantities of seeds and will likely order again just because of that. I'll update this article at the end of the growing season with more information.

Gaia Organics

Gaia Organics sells certified organic vegetable, herb and flower seeds, and have signed the safe seed pledge (meaning all their seeds are all non-GMO).

This company says on their website that they are "dedicated to producing the majority of our seeds right here in Ottawa." If you live near this area you might find that these seeds grow very well for you.

I haven't grown these seeds myself yet as this brand is new to me. I'll update this article at the end of the growing season with more information.

That's my list of the best Canadian seed companies that I've tried so far! I'll be sure to update this article as I order from more companies.

Do you know of another great Canadian seed company that you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments below!