Malta Dirt Daubers convert 1928 truck into flowerpot

Since 1957, the Malta Dirt Daubers Garden Club has been making this city beautiful, one plant at a time. On Wednesday night, the Daubers took their gardening skills to the corner of South 2nd Street East and South Central Ave and turned a 1928 International Beet Truck into a giant flowering pot.

Each of the 11 pots inside the truck got one spike, two lemon green sweet potatoes vines, two pink petunias and two red petunias.

"In this climate they are really easy to grow," said Sharon Miller of the Dirt Daubers.

The truck was donated by Tim and Vivian Bruckner. Don Holman, Billy Rae Holman and Howard Rummel helped the Dirt Daubers tow the truck to town from the Bruckner residence and the Milk River Contractors donated their time in getting the truck back into the shape it is in now.

"We put a request in the Museum Notes and within two hours we had someone willing to donate the truck," said Dirt Dauber Jane Ereaux, , chairperson for the project. "We saw a picture of one and we decided we wanted one and put the ad in the paper. And here we are tonight, planting in it."

The truck will be on display all summer long and will eventually have a sign pointing people to the Phillips County Museum on Highway 2 East.

A total of 77 flowers and plants are used in the 11 barrels – nine in the bed, two in the cab – and by summer all of the flowers should be in full bloom.

"If it goes the way we think it will, it will be gorgeous," said Ereaux.

The Malta Dirt Daubers have a total of 33 members and besides planting in the whisky barrels during the spring, the group transforms the barrels in the fall – scarecrows and corn stalks – and in the winter the club hosts a Christmas decorating project.

Anne and Dave Boothe built a water wagon for their daughter, Kris, and she and other residents of MOI will be watering and maintaining the plants all summer long. The wagon is known as "Chris and Friends" Water Wagon.

"They will come along when needed and water the plants downtown," Ereaux. "The merchants will water theirs themselves."

For more information about the Malta Dirt Daubers please call Miller or Ereaux.