Backyard Habitat

I've seen a certain sign posted here and there in people's yards or by their driveways: it says "Backyard Wildlife Habitat." One such example is a bit of property where the house is down by the water, and the rest from there to the road is still trees and underbrush in a natural state. Another is a cute little house with a well maintained garden that must be the envy of the neighbors, with well-placed bird feeders qualifying it for the "wildlife" clause.
Another place I know used to have a strip of trees shielding the house from the road, a little extension of forest that could be considered a "wildlife habitat." Then, the people eliminated their privacy and potential wildlife habitat in exchange for a view of... the road. How ironic (and stupid) it would be, I thought rather angrily, if they cut down those nice big fir trees just to plant some dinky little shrubs or fruit trees. Well what do you know, they are now the proud owners of a deforested plot that boasts two measly saplings and...grass. You can get grass anywhere! Come on, people; trading 100-year old trees for grass, what a waste. But I digress.
My yard could qualify for a "habitat" of sorts, although I'm not sure about the wildlife part. A more accurate label would be "Natural Plant Life Reforestation Habitat." You would never know that I had everything weeded and neat two months ago. The blackberry vines I mercilessly chopped have reincarnated with a vengeance. The dandelions are thriving, along with various species of thistles (which I figure I will leave a few for the finches to eat the seed, then I will get some wildlife to go with the habitat!) reaching as high as my head and fraternizing with the peonies. There are Queen Anne's Lace stalks growing amongst the raspberries, possibly creating an affront to the neighbors as it grows several feet above the fence. I am delighted to discover ripe red wild strawberries hidden between the leaves of long-since-bloomed bulbs, and apples are beginning to grow on the trees out back. My landlord mowed the grass not too long ago, but the edges have not seen a weedeater at all this season, so tall grass waves in the breezes. If I left it all alone for a year, reforestation by natural plant life would be a definite possibility. I'm not sure the neighborhood would be impressed, though. As soon as the sun returns for more than an afternoon at a time, I will begin the process of taming the jungle and transforming it. Metamorphosis of wild plant-life habitat into quaint, tidy, unremarkable, civilized yard. At least I won't be cutting down trees to plant grass.