Final answer:
Yolanda miscalculated the area of her square garden. The correct area is 289 square feet, calculated by squaring the length of one side (17 ft).
Step-by-step explanation:
Yolanda's calculation of the area of her square vegetable garden is incorrect. In mathematics, the area Area of a square is determined by squaring the length of one of its sides. Since the garden is square and the length of one side is given as 17 feet, we use the formula:
Area = side × side
For Yolanda's garden:
Area = 17 ft × 17 ft = 289 ft²
Therefore, the correct area of Yolanda's square garden is 289 square feet, not 34 square feet as she initially calculated.