Naturescaping

The side yards at our new house are without sprinklers. Alongside the other landscape challenges that are milling around in my head is the question of what to do with these areas of our yard. In searching for ideas, I came across a new concept that intrigues me. . . naturescaping. I'm sure all of you have been familiar with naturescaping for years, but for the few of you who are unfamiliar with this practice, it (from PlantNative.org):

"Emphasizes selecting the plant that grows naturally at the site. Since native plants evolved to grow under local conditions, they do not require that the site be changed. They do not need the life support of watering (except during establishment) or regular chemical product application, and they do not require the same level of cutting and pruning maintenance."

Low maintenance? No extra watering? Just plants that thrive where I plant them? Right then I knew this was for me. Intrigued? Read on.
Apparently there are two different approaches to naturescaping. Conventional naturescaping follows "conventional landscape design principles and simply substitutes native plants for the industrial species." Restoration naturescaping "attempts to create a more natural looking space . . . creating a look that reflects how the site may have looked prior to human disturbance."

What if your backyard was farmland for a hundred years after it was anything "native?" Should I plant my native plants in neat rows for easy hoeing?