Sometimes you can work around the plant limitations. Just arrange everything to look planned... use bird friendly and insect friendly varieties of flowering material. Keeping a section mowed makes for diverse habitat.

A few people in FL have turned lawn to trees. Fruit trees and vegetables as part of landscape. No lawn to mow. Lots of vegetation to manage though.

In the Boston area people are fighting the no chicken ordinance. Hens are quieter than dogs and less curbside poop than a dog.

A friend in a town far outside Boston had chickens, and when neighbors found out, worked with them to keep her prized chickens.

I know of others that keep pet chickens in the house, diapers included. lol