‘You know, exactly like you. A bit quirky, out there. You have your own style going on.’ Isla looked her up and down. Florrie’s mousy hair was tied up in a messy bun with a fresh rose speared through the middle of it, giving it an extra touch of charm. Her jeans, rolled up at the ankles, had coloured flowers embroidered down each leg. Her T-shirt was orange, and a lightweight crimson scarf was wrapped around her neck and matched her fingerless gloves.
‘I’ve had this style for as long as I can remember.’
‘I know and your followers will be able to tell you’re the real deal and authentic.’ Isla pointed. ‘I have to ask though: fingerless gloves and a scarf in the height of summer?’
‘When you’re working with flowers all day these things are a lifesaver. The number of times I’ve got a thorn stuck in my hand from the roses… And it’s only a lightweight scarf.’
Catching her reflection in the garden mirror that hung on the brick wall Florrie repositioned the rose in her hair before they walked around the cottage towards The Vintage Flower Van. Florrie smiled. She was a lover of bright clothes that reflected her personality and she intended to allow her character and passion to stand out. That’s what would make people stop and view her reels on social media.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ asked Isla. ‘You’ve already got a successful following from Buttercup Barn. Isn’t it possible to direction the traffic from that account to the new one?’
‘I could but I don’t want this to be about me. I want followers to fall in love with The Vintage Flower Van so they’ll want to come to buy flowers here. This’ – she flung her arms open in front of the van – ‘is a thing of beauty and I want it to become a national treasure. I know I have my work cut out but soon the whole of Scotland will be fighting to keep this van and those gardens alive.’ Florrie could hear the passion in her own voice. ‘What we need is short reels. I need to make it entertaining, pick trending music, use hashtags and emojis, and I need to vary the posts. Telling everyone exactly what The Vintage Flower Van is all about will create awareness, build the number of followers, and hopefully even grow the business.’
‘Are you sure you aren’t a marketing executive on the side? You sound very professional and knowledgeable,’ teased Isla.
‘It’s exactly like yourselves when you opened up the farm shop. You had me hooked and logging in every day to see what you’d posted. You started off by introducing the farm and showing pretty reels of the mountain terrain, the river that runs through the field, and the lush grass, then followed that up with milking the cows, introducing the followers to a baby cow, lambing season, etc. – and not forgetting the alpacas! They were an instant hit. Every child in Scotland wanted a pet alpaca, thanks to you.’
Isla laughed. ‘That’s very true. The profits of the shop were phenomenal from day one and I’ve lost count of the number of times that customers have told me they’d visited the farm shop or booked “walk an alpaca” days because they’d seen me on TikTok. It’s all about getting the word out there and it really does work if you get it right.’
‘Exactly. And if we can do the same with The Vintage Flower Van… The only thing we haven’t got in our favour is time.’ But Florrie was not going to let that stop her. ‘Even if, and it’s a big if, W. Houston Property Developers let me keep the van, we still need to publicise where the majority of the flowers are sourced and the history behind the stunning gardens at Rose Cottage, along with Flowers in Bloom.’
‘So, let’s get started! Shall we pretend it’s first thing in the morning and you’re opening up for the day? You can show your morning routine,’ suggested Isla, looking up at the sky. ‘The sun is shining. You have the perfect backdrop of Heartcross Mountain, and I did bring this…’ She reached inside her bag and pulled out a long string of triangular floral bunting. ‘Everyone loves bunting! And there’s more.’ She opened the boot of the car. ‘Give me a hand. I thought these would look amazing too.’
Florrie poked her head into the boot and agreed. ‘Those painted milk churns are gorgeous.’
‘Aren’t they just? It’s all about the aesthetics and creating a look that makes everyone want to visit. There are cushions too, in a mix of colours, patterns and textures to complement the van, creating a cosy, inviting look that makes people want to visit and buy your flowers.’
Impressed, Florrie asked, ‘Are you sure it’s not you that’s a marketing executive?’ She laughed.
Together they set out decorating The Vintage Flower Van, hanging the bunting across the front. ‘How about grabbing the bistro tables and the wrought-iron chairs from around the back of the cottage? It’ll add character and charm,’ Isla suggested.
‘Perfect.’ Florrie disappeared back into the courtyard then positioned the table and chairs in front of the van. After placing the cushions on the chairs, Florrie positioned the milk churns before cutting flowers from the garden and placing them in the buckets in front of the van. They both took a step back to admire their handywork. The Vintage Flower Van radiated romance; it was elegant and full of charm. ‘I’m going to have all the girls sending their men to buy them flowers from The Vintage Flower Van.’
‘And maybe meeting a man for yourself? After all, according to Gran, The Vintage Flower Van is your road to destiny. Your happy ever after is tied to the van somehow.’
Hearing those words, Florrie immediately thought of Tom. As much as she’d tried to dismiss all thoughts of him since his surprise arrival, he was still very much on her mind.
‘If that’s the case, the clock is ticking and the love of my life needs to hurry up. They may only have three weeks to reveal themselves.’
They both laughed.
‘You daft thing, now let’s take some footage whilst the sun is shining.’
Isla was in full film-maker mode now. She opened the door of her car, pulled out a wheeled tripod and rested Florrie’s phone in the cradle.
‘Look at you with all the gear.’
‘This is a brilliant bit of kit. I just push it on the wheels and it follows you, and with this handle I can move the phone in any direction. It keeps the image steady.’
‘I’ll start off by introducing myself, something like… Hi, I’m Florrie, come with me and take a look at The Vintage Flower Van. Then I’ll collect some flowers from the buckets and make a beautiful bouquet, which we can set to some music.’ Florrie spotted a gardening trug just inside the cottage gate. ‘Oh, this is perfect, let’s fill it with freshly cut roses. It’s all about creating those visuals.’
‘And I’ll put a soft filter on the reel to give it that dreamy kind of look.’
Florrie took a handful of roses from the buckets and, swinging the wooden trug full of pale blush roses, slowly walked towards The Vintage Flower Van. Isla captured the beauty of the moment along with the stunning background of Rose Cottage and Heartcross Mountain towering in the distance.
‘Hi, I’m Florrie, this is my vintage flower van, come with me and take a look around.’ She hovered on the steps of the van for a moment before Isla shouted, ‘Cut!’ like a proper director.
‘That was perfect and so natural.’
