To find the area of a rectangle, I need to multiply the length and the width. I know the area is 184 square feet and one side is eight feet long, so I can divide 184 by eight to get the other side. 184 divided by eight is 23, so the common side is 23 feet long. 
A rectangular garden shares one side with one side of a house. An adjacent side of the garden is eight feet long. If the area of the garden is 184 square feet, what is the length, in feet, of the common side?