Neighbours/their visitors walking over newly laid turf

[Greenfishy]

So we have a very slightly strained relationship with our neighbours for reasons I won’t go into, but we are polite and friendly, cooperate when necessary (pests in the garden etc) and take in parcels for each other etc.

We have recently had turf laid on our front garden. Previously it was a weedy wasteland (we bought a Reno and it wasn’t a priority) and now we’ve had meadowmat turf laid. Lush and green but lots of different grasses/plants for wildlife. I suppose if you are not paying any attention you might not notice it was different - however the other stuff was yellowing and dandelions etc, so it is different.

Next door (particularly their visitors, but they have been doing it too) have been walking over our front garden for ages. Even dragging bins across it! I assume it’s because they can’t be bothered to go around all their cars that are parked on the drive and street. We’ve left it and not said anything when it was a wasteland but now they’re still doing it and we are pissed off. Culminating in DP shouting at a bloke walking his dog across it to speak to one of the neighbours today!!

So my question is, AIBU to go round and tell them please don’t walk across it? Or just leave it and hope the message gets through from DP’s actions today?

If the natural path to their door is over your front lawn I would look at putting in permanent hard landscaping or pricky plants to stop people (NDN) from taking a shortcut.
If you have gone with a wildlife medow look people will not regard that the same as "lawn" grass.
It will benefit your long term relationship with the NDN as they will not have the opening to wind you both up by their actions

Fences are the traditional solution to defining boundaries.

I did this when we moved in 25 years ago, I was fed up of everyone including the postman just traipsing across the front lawns, gawping in the window 🤬

People are lazy, stupid, selfish and arrogant.

Put up a sign - newly laid turf, please keep off. You shouldn't have to, but that's how things are today.

Now is the perfect time to say politely, ‘would you mind keeping off our garden? Our turf is new so it needs to bed down’ (idek if that’s the right term ha) Really never understood anyone walking through someone else’s garden, I find it so rude

We had awful neighbours on both sides - all our other (lovely) neighbours said that we were in the sh*t sandwich of the street between the horrible two.
anyways - we laid new lawn and did like a twine and bamboo stick parameter with some little taped on signs saying new grass don’t walk!

“Would you mind” gives them the opportunity to say “yes we do”.

“please stop walking on the grass (or any part of our property)” is better.

When front gardens are all level with no boundaries this is (sadly) commonplace. Just pop some boulders or a small picket fence and this will stop it. I know it’s frustrating as we had this (even local kids playing on it up against our front window screaming with their scooters). So I get it, but kids don’t get boundaries but the parents should parent or adults be more adult!

Put a little sign up explaining

Thanks everyone. I actually spoke to them about it and it was all fine, but I’ve put up a sign (I laminated one at work 🤣) and will figure out some fencing. Didn’t get round to going to B&Q today but I will!

I have problems with people walking over a garden to the side of my house, treating it as an access point to the cul de sac behind. It’s clearly a garden and not a public path but people are cheeky and lazy. I’ve just put up signs (from Amazon) that say “private garden - please keep out” and they seem to be working. They were quite decorative and clear without being confrontational. I feel ridiculously precious doing this but needs must sometimes. It won’t dissuade everyone but it should cut down on the number. We have terrible new build soil and I want to look out at green grass, not a mud bath. Have a look to see if there’s some kind of sign you could put up (e.g. new turf) too.

I wouldn't rely on them using taking the message from the other guys actions, if you want it to stop, I would go round and politely tell them now you've had the grass done you would appreciate it if they didn't walk over it. If they still persist, put a fence round your boundary so it's not even an option

Go and talk to them! But they are CFs for walking over your land, whether it's got knackered grass on it or lovely grass.

We had our very small front tarmaced over, neighbours felt they could leave bins on it, stand on it chatting to friends etc, we have put lots of tubs of big plants around the edges so no one can cut across it now. It really annoyed me, whether it’s newly layer turf or not it’s not their property! Def put something up and leave it there for several months. Hopefully will break habit but if you use a fence, replace with some planters when remove it or they may take that as a sign then can use it again!

This was my first thought. People take these short cuts without thinking about it, and it's unlikely all their visitors will stop. Small picket fence would do the trick.