A landscaper has two gardens: one is a square and the other is a rectangle. The width of the rectangular garden is 5 yards less than a side of the square one, and the length of the rectangular garden is 3 yards more than a side of the square garden. If the sum of the areas of both gardens is 165 square yards, find the measure of a side of the square garden.

Answer 1

You would let the side length of the square garden be x in yards.
Then the rectangular sides are x-5 and x+3.

Calculate the areas of the two gardens in terms of the side lengths (and x). Equate that to 165 square yards.

You will end up with an equation from which you can solve for x.

Answer 2

Mr. Jones wants to plant a garden. The garden is a rectangle 25 yards
wide by 50 yards long. He wants to build a fence along the diagonal of
the rectangle so that he can grow fruit on one side of the diagonal and
vegetables on the other. Calculate the length of the fence. Give your
answer to the nearest yard