One of the biggest attractions of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is the multitude of potted flowering plants, vegetable starts, and containers of herbs at many of the regular vendors’ stalls. The sale of such plants is particularly brisk in early summer as customers are working on getting their own gardens started. What might be less known is that many vendors sell plants through the entire summer. “We’ll have plants through the end of October,” said John Otrembiak, of Otrembiak Farms. “Right now, we’re selling a lot of herbs, tomatoes, and things like eggplants and peppers. Later, it’ll be more herbs, maybe some lettuce and second crop broccoli.” Steve Otrembiak, the younger brother of John, has said that selling plants helps him build relationships with customers. Food, he said, tastes particularly good when you grow your own. “Often, we’ll sell some small seedlings to customers early in the season,” he said. “They’ll report back to us about the progress of the plant over the summer, and sometimes will even bring us a sample when it bears fruit. They’ll ask us questions and share problems they might be having.” To get a sense of the value of buying plants from local farmers, I spent a few minutes hanging out at Burger’s Market Garden during a recent Wednesday market, listening informally to the dialogue between retail manager Andy Burger and customers. Customers asked Burger about the sun and growing times of foxgloves, the lasting power of zinnias, and the best way to nurture the strawberry plants protruding from hanging baskets. Many of the plants already bore fresh, fully ripe fruits. “Take it home, pick them off and enjoy them. And the plant will continue to give you more,” said Burger, whose father owns the farm. “Plants and produce are the heart of the market, Burger said. “That’s what the farmers market was founded on, providing the people of Saratoga with the variety of produce that are grown locally as well as a way for them to grow it themselves.” As July approaches, certain plants will get bigger: Tomatoes, for instance, may be three feet tall. They might be full of yellow flowers, and they might even be bearing fruit. Such plants are particularly beneficial to people who don’t have backyards, said John Otrembiak, because they can remain in the large containers all season long. “Just put them in a sunny spot,” Otrembiak said, “and make sure to water them well.” The Saratoga Farmers’ Market operates 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park through October.