To put ornamental stones on the grass outside my fence?

[rosesinmygarden]

We live in a small hamlet on a country road with no pavement. Our boundary goes right up to the road and we have a strip of grass next to the road which is constantly churned up by people parking there to go for country walks. The people who park there also damage our garden fence by opening car doors on to it and they park infront of our front gate making it difficult to access our front door up the garden path.

We have a variety of ornamental rocks around the garden left over from the last owners and I'm considering painting them white and positioning them on the grass to deter people from parking on the actual grass.

They wouldn't stop people standing on the grass for safety when a car passes and they wouldn't stop people parking next to the grass (they are low enough to allow most car doors to open).

Several of our neighbours have done the same, which was what gave me the idea. The grass belongs to us, not the council of highways. The road is wide enough for two cars also.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Absolutely. I wouldn't even give it a second thought. I'd just do it.

I've seen this done lots. Why wouldn't you?

Just do it

I'm a little worried that if someone drives into one and damages their car would I be liable?

Definitely, and I'd put some meadow seed down too, or encourage wild flowers, it would look lovely.
I'm sure people could find somewhere else to park, like the pub car park, church/hall etc.

The grass belongs to you, put broken bottles on it if you like (there is a house near me that has done this on top of their garden wall!)

Make sure the stones can be seen, keep grass trimmed so they don't cover them up.

OP not liable if it's your property

And also that I'd look like a bit of a twat to the neighbours who have regular visitors (who regularly churn up our grass - but they aren't the only ones).

I'm a little worried that if someone drives into one and damages their car would I be liable?

They'd be liable for the damage to your rocks, more like!

Make sure they are visible (paint them white and stick some reflectors on them?) If you're worried, but if they drive into your land and damage their car on your rocks I don't think they'd have much of a case.

They would very visible.

The broken glass thing is a bit dangerous though

I don't really mind people parking there - it's a public road. But I wish they wouldn't churn up the grass and it makes it difficult to keep it looking nice. I also don't like them damaging the fence and parking across the gate.

We are semi-rural / large village. Lots of single track roads round here, and this is very, very common. Everyone has something to protect their land/grass.

@SherlocksDeerstalker thanks I thought it was reasonable but didn't want to look like a miserable twat.

I also realise this is a bit of a minor problem to have. Too much time spent at home, gardening lately and I'm a little protective over it.

I actually expected to be told I'd be liable for damage to vehicles to be honest. But several neighbours have done the same so I guess I'll do it

Definitely do it

A few people in the village nearest to us have put logs on the grass beside their houses for that very reason

Rocks painted white or planters with flowers is the norm in villages near here. It’s your grass put what you like there.

I really like the idea of meadow flowers. Is it too late to sow these now? Going to check

I'm not sure, but I do know you just sow like grass seeds. I really wanted our lawn like that, but dh said it would look like we hadn't bothered to weed.
But we live in the town centre and it was our back garden.
They would look lovely in the front, and letting wild flowers grow they sometimes look nicer than the ones you did grow.

I thought you wanted to stop people getting out of the road on foot and that I think would be a little unreasonable. But parking, absolutely.

Putting something out to stop peopple parking on privately owned grass verges is common where I live. And no, you won't look like a twat, just like someone getting fed up with their property being messed up. Go ahead and put whatever you like there.

@MrsTerryPratchett I specifically said this isn't the case in my original post. Walkers aren't wrecking my grass and fence, people parking ate.

Bed them in well so they can't be kicked out of the way.

They are too heavy to kick out of the way @Somanysocks

Think size of a cat.