When I rented a single family dwelling in the Central Valley in CA, I simply let the weeds / grass mixture take over while using a push-reel mower to keep it as

When I rented a single family dwelling in the Central Valley in CA, I simply let the weeds / grass mixture take over while using a push-reel mower to keep it as a lawn, then let the lawn die during the summer and fall. Virtually no noise, no pollution, and even a brown lawn after being well kept didn't look terrible.