b'.outdoors Water root areas of your plants,Lawnsthe Cape Cod way.Plush,preferably with a drip irrigation green lawns are not the norm here,system which can save up to 60% and for good reason: they require tooover other watering techniques.much water and fertilizer.Its better Wash your car only when to decrease the size of your lawn andnecessary, with a bucket and a hose landscape with native,drought- with a shut-offnozzle. Use a high-resistant plants. pressure, low volume nozzle that hasWater your garden only whena pistol-grip.necessary. Water only in the early Locate and label the master water morning or at night to avoid rapidsupply valve for ease of response in evaporation. Keep in mind thatcase of a major leak or broken pipe. watering the sidewalk and street wastesConsider turning offyour water and water. hot water heater when going on aUse a broom, not a hose, whentrip.cleaning driveways and walkways. . The Chatham Water Department off ers free information booklets. See Chapters 8 and 9 on landscaping and lawns for more ideasCape Cod NeighborEelgrass: Lean and Green Eelgrass is often mistaken for a seaweed. Unlike seaweed, it hasroots and even fl owers underwater. One of the most importantroles of eelgrass is to provide underwater shelter for species of sh and shellfi sh, especially bay scallops. Young scallops thatfiattach themselves to the eelgrass leaves are less vulnerable tobottom predators like crabs and starfi sh. When eelgrass washesup on the beach, its brown piles provide cover for the smallinvertebrates that nourish wandering shorebirds. Decreasedscallop populations followed the decline of eelgrass beds in the1930s. While eelgrass populations have increased since then, theyare now declining again due to poor water quality.Page 24 bluepages.indd 24 8/26/2009 1:50:18 PM'