Portable herb garden

Bit of an odd one. It's my sister's birthday in a couple of months and I know she would really like a little herb garden. The caveat is she's a bit of a perpetual student - she's close to finishing her masters and after that will be moving around on placements every few months for at least a couple of years.

I thought of planting up a strawberry pot for her but they don't seem to have the best reputation for herbs. Any suggestions/experience with planting a little herb garden she could easily move in the boot of a car would be very welcome. Recommendations on what herbs plant well together also good!

 

Amazon is a great place for planter ideas and the prices are reasonable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007E63ZC8/ref=psdc_4224875031_t1_B00PE1QY8C

Terracotta hexagonal herb pots - set of 7: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Self Watering STONE coloured UV resistant plastic Plant & Flower Pots - Stackable MEDIUM Planter Tubs with Tray (Flowers not included) (3 Tiers): Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Some may be plastic but was worried about weight and other materials (including the terracotta one) may smash in her car boot.

@ARMANDII suggested some great herb ideas. Basil and Oregano are nice herbs to grow too.

 

Everyone has their own tastes but would personally go for corriander, chives, basil, parsley, thyme, mint and oregano.

Most of them can be bought from a garden centre as plants rather than seeds. Supermarkets sell them in pots too but some will need hardening off before planting directly outdoors. Basil and corriander are the most suscpetible to cold plus slugs & snails go crazy for them. Also, the supermarket types are planted too densely and easily bolt/go to seed which makes them taste bitter, so need thinning out will help them. And if they do, just buy another pot for a couple of quid

 

A nice and relatively inexpensive way to do it would be to find a decent quality shallow wooden box, e.g. an old fruit tray: BEAUTIFUL WOODEN CRATES STORAGE BOX FRUIT CRATES BOX SHABBY CHIC | eBay

Line that with a bit of plastic and then if you pot the herbs up separately you have something easy for you to present and for her to move around in her car. Between whiles the pots can stand separately on the patio/ windowsill which they would probably prefer in any case. Lightweight pots would obviously be easier to transport and you could include a few plant saucers if those are needed. Use balls of paper or bubblewrap to prevent them moving around in the box.

The suggestions for herbs above are all good, others I have for cooking and was able to buy inexpensively in small pots in a local garden centre are lemon verbena, sorrel, salad burnet (tastes like cucumber!) and angelica.

 

I like the idea of a shabby-chic wooden crate, with individual pots!

Personally, if there was one herb I would look to grow, it would be French tarragon. It doesn't dry, does not take kindly to freezing, and nothing beats it, freshly picked, with chicken and mushroom! They are available as a growing herb in supermarkets here in Belgium, so I often end up taking back plants for UK friends. They are a little tender, so plant next to substantial herbs in the ground (mine are growing next to the over-large Rosemary), or have in a pot to move to the shelter of a house wall in winter - perfect!