Compost bin/cold frame

I have a very small garden, but still grow flowers and fruit and vegetables in one raised bed (8'x4') small borders and containers. But would like to produce my own compost, and make a small cold frame! Any ideas for sizes, materials and plans would be most welcome.

Compost Bins are best made out of old Pallets ... Joe Swift made one on the last season of GW.  I'd make 2 bins as it takes sometime to make the compst.   I'm lazy and bought a couple of cheap ones on the Net !

chris

Thanks for that Chris 7, but my garden isn't big enough for full size compost bins or cold frames!

my garden small,am looking at wormery instead but read you can't put grass cuttings in,anyone know if that's true?

you can provided the grass hasn't been treated, you also need to ensure you put plenty of 'brown' in, cardboard, toilet rolls, shredded paper, twiggy stuff. The finer you chop stuff up, the quicker it's composted.

This doesn't answer your Q if you are intent on making a compost bin but I rate the black dalek compost bins for small spaces, not sure of the cost, mine was free from the local council but that was some years ago, check with your council to see if they are giving them away.   

We've just turned our old slimline waterbutt that was used for collecting water off our shed into a compost bin. The bottom of it cracked last month so rather than throw it out I sawed off the base and have tucked it away next to our new butt, Its already a quarter full , i've put a stout cane inside so I can give it a good old stir.My gardens not large but my compost bin will soon be disguised by a buddlea shrub,

That's a great idea lilysilly, I had seen water butts right size, I suppose any container could be used to make a makeshift compost bin??

I think the compost bin needs to be a certain size to start off the reation that generates heat and helps the stuff to break down.

I got my dalek from JTF, if there's one near you I rate it very highly for bargains for your garden.  Like the idea of disguising it with a buddlea, I have a massive one that I keep attacking with the loppers (yes, it thinks it's a tree), it just grows back even bigger the next year (will have to move it soon, the roots must be nearly into the garage, if it gets in there next to hubby's prized RS2000 I will be humongous trouble).

Please excuse me if I'm being thick brummieben.. (new gardener!) what do you mean by 'treated'? I had a dalek bin at old house was great, but it was further away from house than where can have it now,and we had rat/s there,am rather paranoid now,we've just had mice in house (old house,full of holes,empty 18 months before we came ) am terrified of encouraging them,especially considering I want to be out with my little girl letting her help me in the garden, heard wormery less attractive to rodents ? anyone any thoughts? I used to not really care, had horses for 30 years, just ignored them at yard,but have become Paranoid Mummy!