Hi Lou, Two plots – That’s great!
It sounds wise to use pots for the industrial area, the soil is likely polluted there (although of course it depends on the type of industry over the years in that area).
For medicinal plants that are suitable, consider the conditions that you have there. I guess they will need to be quite tough and able to survive being in pots (which usually give times of being dry then watered, exposed to full sun and not very deep soil). You could start with low investment options such as Calendula (grow from seed, harvest some of the flowers and leaves, save some seed for the next growing season, they look great too). And I would look at what’s growing close by naturally, can you make cuttings from any? Are dune plants an option? So maybe Seabuckthorn/duindorn although it would like a bigger pot, how about fennel? Maybe it’s fresh water not salty. For potted herbs I find that Mediterranean herbs work best as they thrive in dry then watered conditions and full sun. So rosemary (will ultimately want a big pot), lavender, Rue (Wijnruit), Wormwood. All these could be worth a try. They don’t like over watering so (especially) in winter (any time it is not super hot really) ensure the roots can drain by being able to remove a drip tray. Juniper can be grown as a good looking small shrub and the leaves can be used to inside oil. Mugwort is also great. Chamomile (German, the perennial type) can be amazing in pots too, giving a great harvest each year in relatively poor soil.
The soil is something to be attentive too in pots. Most herbs don’t want really rich soil so a mixture of organic potgrond with a molehill of soil mixed in should be good for years.
I hope this helps Lou.
Foraging, Growing and Using Herbs in Cities