Best hot composting bin for renters with small gardens

Garden in Fulham, paved with raised beds, wooden table, chairs and inbuilt seat with striped cushions. Susan and Henry Parker's garden at their four bedroom Victorian house in Fulham, London.

(Image credit: David Giles/Future Publishing Ltd)

published 21 June 2023

If you're on the hunt for the very best hot composting bin for small gardens, you're in luck: one of this year's Hampton Court Flower Show designers has shared her absolute favourite – and it's perfect for renters.

Now, I know what you're thinking: when you're renting a home, particularly a home with a small backyard, it can sometimes feel as if many of those trending garden ideas are out of reach – including learning how to hot compost.

However, Zoe Claymore, who has designed The Renter's Retreat garden on behalf of The Wildlife Trust for this year's upcoming Hampton Court Flower Show, is on a mission to change that narrative.

'When I came up with my design, I was thinking what the big barriers are when it comes to getting into gardening,' says Zoe. 'For me, personally, it has always been the fact that I rented.

'When you're renting and moving all the time, you're not really sure what you're doing, and you're not sure what you can do in a rented space – but there's no reason why you can't start gardening, even if it's a small space.'

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Around one in three households in England are rented, and over seven million of these properties have access to outdoor space.

Zoe's design aims to empower renters to get gardening, regardless of their ownership status. In fact, everything in The Renter's Retreat can be transported through a front door (and back again, ready for the next move) – including the hot composting bin.

'I really rate the Hotbin Mini Composter,' she says of the award-winning device, which maintains a steady temperature of 40 to 60°, even in winter.

Compost bins are usually pretty bulky, but this slimline option is half the size of a regular Hotbin, making it the ideal choice for those of us with smaller gardens. All you need to do to get it churning out brown gold is regularly add food or garden waste, and a bulking agent or shredded paper to keep the air flowing inside the bin.

mid century modern style bench with retro print cushion against garden wall, pots and planters on the wall above, wooden trunk coffee table

'The Hotbin Mini makes compost quickly, doesn’t smell, and can be easily transported,' says Zoe, listing off the device's plus points.

'It also enables fast small space composting, so it works out as being more productive per m2 of space.'

Noting that every garden should have some form of composting device, Zoe adds: 'This garden is all about showing how every bit of outside space can become an oasis for bugs, birds and mini-beasts – irrespective of where you live.

'I want to inspire people to make little changes that have a big impact both for nature and people. We know that spending time in green spaces is so important for our health and happiness, and creating greener yards and gardens can work wonders for our wellbeing.'

With that in mind, then, I'm off to source some carbon and nitrogen-rich waste as I count down the days until Prime Day. See you at the checkout!

You can visit The Renter's Retreat garden, and see how Zoe has incorporated her Hotbin Mini into the shady courtyard, at the Hampton Court Flower Show between 4-9 July.

Kayleigh Dray became Ideal Home’s Acting Content Editor in the spring of 2023, and is very excited to get to work. She joins the team after a decade-long career working as a journalist and editor across a number of leading lifestyle brands, both in-house and as a freelancer.