Powell’s community garden has recently undergone some improvements — and more are in the works for the coming year.

Powell High School students Kik Hayano and Phillip Ellis shared an update about the garden and the planned upgrades during the Powell City Council’s July 17 meeting.

“Over the past year, we've had more success than we’ve had in quite a while,” Ellis reported, noting that all of the garden’s beds were planted this spring.

“We’ve worked pretty hard to restore the irrigation system,” he said, fixing leaks with new pipes and valves.

The garden — which sits on city land near Veterans Park — now includes some seating and the plan is to add shade in the future, Ellis said.

Blue Ribbon Tree Service donated mulch for the walkways between the beds and Hayano painted signs for them. But that’s just the beginning.

The hope, Hayano said, is to pour a concrete path from East Fifth Street to the back of the garden beds and eventually “concrete the entire thing.” That will offer easier access for the garden’s members with disabilities — as will a plan to replace the garden’s low-lying beds with taller ones.

“We are aware that all of these plans aren’t going to be cheap,” Hayano added, with multiple fundraisers in the works.

Community garden members — which includes clients at Big Horn Enterprises — will be hosting bake sales and raffles, Hayano said, while she and Ellis hope to launch some joint fundraising efforts with clubs at the high school.

“We plan to involve more of the youth in the community in helping us fund our garden projects,” Hayano said.

They envision raising money through the winter and being ready to pour concrete — a roughly $5,000 job — when the ground thaws.

“Certainly this is an awesome project you guys have taken on,” said Councilman Steve Lensegrav, who serves as the assistant principal at PHS.

Councilman Zane Logan echoed that sentiment for the “great project,” praising the students for working to involve local youth with the garden.

Mayor John Wetzel asked the group to return to the council this fall to provide an update “and how we can help with the process.”

The garden is overseen by Big Horn Enterprises staff and operates for the benefit of the community. Last year, for example, garden members donated over 100 pounds of vegetables to various organizations, including the Rocky Mountain Manor and the Powell Senior Center.

For more information about the community garden, call 307-754-5101.