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And/or native plants. Growing a lawn is an atrocity in an arid climate, and a different kind of travesty where prairie would thrive.

I've done that living in the middle of Minneapolis. Half of my back lawn was prairie "garden" and corn and a good portion of the other half was a vegetable garden. The only issue I ever had with neighbors was one concern that my water garden was breeding mosquitos. It wasn't: fish did a good job of seeing to that.

PSA: Please do soil and environmental status testing in the area first please. Many suburban areas are perfectly fine to live in but may have contaminated soil for natural or manmade reasons.

Several people in our neighborhood have done this. We've debated it too. No HOA, but the houses are older.

If you want a new house, it usually comes with an HOA.