Late summer and early fall are popular times for block parties. During this time, it’s common to find tire ruts on your lawn every time your neighbor holds a block party and their attendees decide to use your yard as a parking spot.
To keep off this kind of trespassing that leads to lawn grass damage, you are better off erecting barriers to keep cars off your grass.
The best barriers to keep cars off your grass are:
- Fences
- Driveway rocks and boulders
- Hedges
- Netted guards
- Parking posts
- Spike strips
- Concrete pyramids
- Use signs
- Lamps
- Trees
- Security sirens.
Confronting your neighbors constantly about your grass can get tiresome very quickly, so why not avoid it altogether by using a barrier? If that sounds like something, keep reading this post.
Best Barriers To Keep Cars Off Your Lawn
You need practical ways to prevent cars from parking on your grass successfully. The barriers need to be visible to allow drivers to see them before it’s too late and firm enough to withstand if it comes into contact with a car.
Here are some of the best barriers to keep cars off your lawn:
1. Hedges
A great way to protect your grass is by using hedges. You have the choice between an artificial hedge or a natural hedge (living fence), but weigh their drawbacks and strengths before settling for one.
For instance, besides keeping cars off your lawn, a natural hedge beautifies your home since it’s made of shrubs and trees. The problem is that it takes effort and time to reach full maturity.
On the other hand, an artificial hedge is cheaper, quicker, and easier to disassemble or assemble, especially one in a boxwood design. However, while it will look like a natural edge from afar, you will notice the difference up close.
Also read: Small Holes In Lawn Overnight
2. Netted Driveway Guards
Netted Driveway guards are mounted on both sides of a driveway to keep cars from getting into your lawn. Like retractable fences, you can remove them whenever you want and adjust the width accordingly.
They come in multiple colors to accommodate the aesthetics of different outdoor spaces. Driveway guards that are brightly colored are easily seen, particularly at night or in bad weather when visibility is limited.
3. Signs
This is typically the first choice for most homeowners; that’s why it’s popular. However, traditional signs like “keep out” or “no trespassing” are less effective nowadays.
However, you can choose whimsical options like signs with jokes and even profanity. On the other hand, a simpler modern sign design like “Please Do Not Park On Grass” may suit others better.
You can combine signs with security sirens placed along your lawn perimeter to keep unwanted cars and people at bay.
4. Driveway Rocks And Boulders
Driveway rocks are common items homeowners use to form a barrier around their lawn to protect their grass from cars.
They are usually big enough to damage car undercarriages and bumpers, which should motivate unruly neighbors to stay off your grass.
You can create this barrier using real rocks or artificial boulders, usually made using fiberglass. Using real rocks boosts your landscape’s natural aesthetics, blending well with the surrounding gardens and lawns and are challenging to move because they are heavy.
On the other hand, artificial boulders offer a cost-effective alternative as they are made to look like natural rocks with the same feel and shape.
While fiberglass is lightweight, these boulders have ground anchors to prevent vehicles from knocking them down.
5. Walls Or Fences
A simple fence or wall will keep cars and people out of your yard and provide some privacy, but that depends on the type of fence you pick. There are numerous options, including a brick wall fence, a low-lying wooden fence, and a high barbed wire fence.
Also Read: Best tall grass for privacy
Moreover, you can go with a retractable safety fence instead of a permanent one should you choose to do so. These fences are available in multiple colors to suit various landscape aesthetics and stay put because they have ground stakes.
However, before installing any fence or wall around your yard, make sure doing so is allowed in your neighborhood by consulting your residential management committee.
6. Spike Strips
Since spike strips puncture tires when cars drive over them and can be harmful to kids and pets, it’s not the go-to solution for most people. However, if everything else fails, consider them because they are effective barricades.
You can paint spike strips with a color that will complement your curb. However, talk to your Residential association beforehand to ensure you won’t break any regulations by installing them.
7. Parking Posts
Bollards for parking posts signify the edge of your lawn because they are usually painted with reflective color strips. Moreover, since they are easily noticeable, there are low chances of drivers hitting them.
During installation, ensure the posts are at utmost 2-feet apart to prevent cars from going through them. Additionally, remember erecting parking posts on your lawn is illegal in some areas, so check their legality in your location beforehand.
8. Rock Gardens
Rock gardens keep unwanted cars from your grass and are prevalent in a lot of areas, need little maintenance, and are relatively cheap. You can also plant different flowers with them, making your lawn more appealing.
9. Trees
Planting trees in your lawn deters unwanted cars in different ways. For instance, you can plant them around the border of your yard or the center to make it difficult for someone to park on your lawn.
In addition, you can group them in different areas of your lawn or plant them individually. Besides keeping cars off your grass, trees make your home more aesthetically appealing.
You can also opt for live bushes or shrubs. However, remember trees may take years to attain full maturity.
10. Parking Cones
When it comes to the best barriers to keep cars off the grass, parking cones are among the most cost-effective and simplest methods. These bright orange items glow in the dark because of their silver or white stripes.
They pass a clear message that you don’t want cars on your grass, and you can effortlessly get your hands on them through a hardware store in your area or online.
Furthermore, no installation is required as you only need to place them in problematic areas.
However, kids may be tempted to play with or steal them.
11. Decorative Ponds
No driver would want to park near or drive by water, so putting a decorative pond on your lawn will indeed protect your grass. Choose a spot in your yard like the front corner or close to the edge to install the pond to protect your grass from vehicles better.
You can also add more features to your pond, such as a fountain to increase visibility and beautify your lawn.
12. Standing Lamps
They serve two purposes- lighting up your yard and stopping cars from getting into your lawn if well positioned. You will likely need to erupt multiple standing lamps spread along your yard’s boundaries with small gaps between them.
13. Driveway Pole Markers
They offer inexpensive ways of marking your lawn’s boundary for everybody to see and keep their cars out of your grass. They are bright orange with reflective silver or white stripes, making them conspicuous even at night.
How Repair A Lawn Damaged By Cars
Don’t feel despair if a car has already driven into your lawn, leaving your grass with ruts because you can fix the problem. You will need a garden spade, sand, compost and/or grass seed, watering can/ gardening hose, sod knife (optional), and spade fork.
Fix shallow ruts (1 to 3 inches deep) by doing the following:
Loosen the soil- use a spade fork or shovel to loosen the dirt, positioning the tool at a 45-degree angle.
Lift The Soil- push up your tool until your raise the sod and earth to about 1 or 2 inches above the other grass. The repaired part will sit on the same level as the existing grass once the soil settles.
Below is how to fix deeper ruts (over 4 inches):
Remove the grass, including its roots, by cutting the sod’s edges, then digging up any grass present in the sod with a shovel or sod knife. You can reuse the sod if it’s in good shape.
Loosen and lift the compacted rutted soil with a spade fork.
Fill the rut with a soil mixture containing equal parts of sand, compost, and soil to 1-2 inches above the soil level.
Flip the sod you removed earlier over the fresh topsoil, then reseed any sparse areas. Grow new grass if you damaged the sod.
Conclusion
Make sure the barrier you pick to protect your grass from cars is both practical and at the very least retain, if not enhance, your lawn’s natural beauty.
The choices at your disposal are natural or artificial, and some are permanent while others are retractable; you need to pick what suits you best.
Best Barriers To Keep Cars Off Grass:
- Pyramid shaped cement curb stones.
- Hedges.
- Netted driveway guards.
- Parking posts.
- Boulders.
- Driveway Pole Markers.
- Standing Lamps.
- Parking Cones.
- Trees.
- Rock Gardens.
- Wall or Fences.
- Spike Strips.
- Signs.
Hey there, I’m Derek Schew, a writer for Lawnholic.com, where we cover everything and anything related to lawns. As someone who’s spent countless hours tending to my own lawn, I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping others achieve the perfect yard. From lawn care tips to product reviews, I’m committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and up-to-date information available. So whether you’re a seasoned lawn enthusiast or just getting started, I invite you to join our community and discover the joys of a lush, green lawn.