How to make open plant front garden less....open?

[Comps83]

So we bought a new build and as all new builds are these days we are quite restricted in what we can do to the outside of the house.
We have an open plan front garden, there are no paths on the road and the road is very narrow. Hence people use our garden as a thoroughfare when they can't wait 2 secs to let a car pass.
We've had the border plants replaced twice already . People just kick and trample on them (on purpose sometimes I'm convinced) and it just feels like an invasion of privacy to look up from the kitchen sink to see a gang of teenagers traipsing past your window. I've even found horse shit (!?!?) and have witnessed people let their dogs crap on it.
So anyway. We aren't allowed fences or hedges. Has anyone come up with a solution to making an open plan garden less inviting to people. If so have you got photos?
I'm thinking big bolders sunk into lawn (to stop the bikes etc) or a big thick rockery all the way round.

[countycouncil]

What about big, heavy wooden planter boxes arranged in such a way that they're basically a fence but not a fence? And who would tell you off if you planted a hedge? (Just curious)

[Comps83]

It's in the deeds. No fences or hedges of a certain hight. Keep your grass cut. No sheds without permission. Etcetcetc it was a long list. Sometimes I don't feel like I own it as might as well be renting.
I have a few niggling regrets about buying the house but too late now.

[LtGreggs]

People put 'large rocks painted white' to stop folk parking/driving over verges. Could you do that? Or even a couple of bollards?

Or what about some sort of 'edging' to mark the border - would that make it more visually obvious that this is an area that belongs to you, rather than just public space - but without quite being a fence.

Or plant a carpet of pyrocantha.

[Comps83]

The planters could be an idea. But I'm not convinced the betracksuited little darlings wouldn't just kick them over.
I should have mentioned originally too that it is a huge space. A waste of space if you ask me id rather they had made it smaller and put a path on the road instead. It's not like will use the garden or sit out in it.

[LtGreggs]

Who's interest are the deeds written in - ie who wants there to be no fence etc? Is it the council? Parish council? Could you ask them for suggestions & get some support from them by framing it as a problem that affects both you and them?

[Comps83]

Ive just been reading about pyracantha . I'm leaning towards a big thick mass of plants, low to the ground though, all around the edges.
Because it would take a lot of rocks and would prob mean getting a professional in.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Any of these help? Some are quite low-growing, and can be trimmed back every year like a hedge. But if you don't plant them in a tidy, straight line, then they're not a hedge.

And while they're getting established, use low fencing or garden edging to protect them. If anyone complains officially, it's easy to remove.

[Comps83]

The dos and don'ts were written up by the housing developers. Though looking at the amount of sheds and satellite dishes that have gone up I doubt any of them have saught permission as was stated .

[Nicketynac]

Could you put a path along the edge yourself?

[LtGreggs]

If it's quite big, then put deep herbaceous borders around the outside? You could bank them up with rockery bits at the back. And maybe put a bench outside. Make it look as much like a private garden as possible - surely people would feel odd walking through a private garden?

This is probably the most expensive solution though.

[Comps83]

I have thought about putting a path in yes. It's another option.

Yes I don't think any option is going to be cheap. Will be heartbreaking even more if they just get kicked and ripped up and trampled on still. I need to google image for some ideas.

[Acopyofacopy]

Plant all kinds of different, thorny plants.
I'd love a front garden full of wild roses!

[Comps83]

Roses are another idea I had
Would look lovely when they flower and would take some destroying .
I've attached photo of what we have now, this is the third time the builders have replaced them. They just keep dying

[Out2pasture]

I love barberry. It comes in a variety of colours and can be trimmed back.
THORNS galore ;)

[Fragglez]

What is the height limit?

[HysterectomyHysteria]

What about long railway sleeper planters like this but longer? No way anyone could knock these over.

[BetsyTheBee]

Could you not get something like these? They stick in the ground so would leave no obvious remains when removed, are very low so wouldn't conflict with height issues and make it very clear you own the boundary. They're also very cheap too! Although they don't look the best you could plant things on the inside to hide them when you look out your window but people walking by will see and (hopefully) respect the 'fence'.

[MollyHuaCha]

That railway sleeper planter is lovely.

[LtGreggs]

Your neighbours opposite seem to have a hedge in place!

I see what you mean about no pavement - how are roads even allowed to be done like that? Anyway... You could try bringing the border in a bit from the edge, so there's a narrow space for folk passing to get off the road, without feeling like they are actually 'in' your garden. And get something to add some height to the border - those plants are too low to register.

[AstrantiaMajor]

Cockburnianus (white bramble)is a brilliant plant to keep interlopers away. It has viscious thorns. In the winter it turns white so very attractive. Also if you cut it back and stick the cuttings in the ground they root really easily. I would get big boulders and interplant the bramble in between them. I doubt you would need many huge boulders. Just put three across a corner. Pyracantha is great but might be deemed a hedge if you plant too many. I would space them out with Holly and blackberry bushes.

[AstrantiaMajor]

Your neighbour's hedge looks like Euonymus and can be kept quite low.

[Ikillallplants]

How old is your estate and are the developers still selling houses on the estate.

The developers are the ones who would have to enforce the covenants and don't usually give a flying fuck once they have sold all the houses on the estate. Before then they want to keep the estates looking nice for potential buyers.

[Comps83]

Greggs your right , and when the builders came out for the third time to replant we had asked for something similar but just got the tiny shrubs again . Getting them to do anything is like trying like getting blood from a stone so we are just going to do it ourselves now .

[Comps83]

They're still building the houses
Most of the gardens here look like shit. It looked fine when we moved in , then they dug it up a few times, choked the borders with debris and drove trucks over them.

[Titterofwit]

As there is no path and people are using your garden in place of a path i would take the line of least resistance and create a path sized space .I wouldn't actually create a path with gravel or other materials though as that would create other problems.

It should be easy enough to do .Just make your new perimeter (of rose bushes?) a couple of feet back and leave the front bit just plain grass which can be mowed. I presume the plants put in by the builders die because of the abuse they get from feet? So let them die again and replace with smaller ,white painted ,stones at the edge to discourage vehicles from also using the path.

Or go against the rules and put up a fence.