Seeing as how you're a dwarf and all, perhaps you should consider xeriscaping, or maybe a rock garden... ;)
We've been in the house for six years but have spent most of out time working on the inside. When we bought the house, cometically it looked very good. But I could tell some nightmare stories about what the previous owners did...
Let's just say I know my limitations as a handy man. The previous owner did not...
So, now that the siding is done, we can turn to the outside.