With the other suggestion of converting it into a meadow from above this all sounds very labor intensive. Sure NC has native grasses, but everything else out paces it 3 to 1. There is a lot in our neighborhood that is not owned by anyone, but was once pasture land. It gets bush hogged once a year in the late fall and in the course of that year you get 3’ tall grasses followed by 4’ tall briers, pokeberries, honeysuckle, and other random plants and vines. The lot besides me is infested with wisteria, which seems almost as bad a kudzu.
My “yard” is simply mowed. It’s as much native weeds as it is grass. It doesn’t get watered or fertilized. As a testament to it’s mediocrity every blow & go yard service stops and leaves me a card or door hanger. That’s about what I can muster. If I’m going to be tending anything outside I’ll plant a vegetable garden.
