violets are african. 3 sugars are sweet

Violets are native to East Africa, stemming from the tropical rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya. They were made famous by the Gammer Garton’s 1784 garland:

The Rose is red

Violets are blue.

The honey’s sweet

And so are you.

The design calls out a piece of African origin that’s been in popular culture since 1784. The line ‘Three sugars are sweet’  is an African way of saying honey. It makes the reader stop and reconsider an idea they already knew. We want to shine a light on Africa, even heading back a few years to do so, and get people to look at it with a fresh perspective.