I have a very small yard and I too love the wild look. I planted 2 avocado trees from pit 12 years ago and they are HUGE! One of them fruits. My pipe organ cactus is at least 15 feet high. The bouganvillas are always overgrown and beautiful.

In this tiny yard there are at least 3 different birds that build nests every year: silver doves under the roof; some little gray-brown constantly twittering birds (20-30) that live/nest in the bouganvillea; and hummingbirds that this spring built their nest in the porch light fixture, so I couldn't turn on the light for 30 days until the babies hatched and flew away. Plus there is a lizard family and an occasional opossum.

I cut and clean up occasionally. Since the yard is xeriscaped, it's fairly low maintenance. In the winter when the weather is usually good, I plant or move things around. It's so peaceful. I bring home stray cactus, and have 15-20 different varieties.