🎶I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The son of God discloses🎤
And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
I’d stay in the garden with him
Though the night around me is falling
But he bids me go
Through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling
And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known🎶
“The classic 1912 hymn “In the Garden” was written by Charles Austin Miles, a former pharmacist who became a full-time gospel music writer. Inspired by the biblical account of Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Christ in the garden on Easter morning (John 20:11-18), Miles wrote the lyrics and music after experiencing a vivid vision while reading his Bible.”
It’s heart warming to read in 1912 the writer, Miles, experiencing a vivid vision while reading his Bible. Today, 2026 we, too, can have a warm relationship with God in various ways as we read our Bibles. We have much to share.
thedailylily.com 
Walking through your garden, Sara, and looking at all the beautiful plants and flowers is also like taking a walk through the Bible, for each plant seems to sing/signify a scripture as we sing along with the hymn you posted.
Your beautiful roses remind me of Isaiah 35:1 and the hope of transformation and renewal: “The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.” And those thorns on your roses…well, Jesus wore a crown of thorns on His head for us, so we could be transformed.
The lilies about to burst into bloom bring anticipation knowing that Jesus is the Lily of the valley; and in Song of Solomon 2:2, it says, “Like a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.”
The boxwood in the garden seems to say that God will not forsake us or leave us in the wilderness: “I will plant the cedar in the wilderness, and the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will place in the desert plain the cypress, elm, and boxwood together—”
The beautiful hibiscus, in the family as the Rose of Sharon, lets us know how close Jesus is because as Song of Solomon tells us, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”
And I even spotted a little mulberry tree in Sara’s garden which reminded me of a song many may have sung, encouraging us to move on for the Lord is with us and leads the way. “And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 2 Samuel 5:24
That majestic pine standing firm and tall with its evergreen needles signifies the eternal life we have with God the Father because of Jesus.
Bright, happy, hopeful sunflower! This flower with its bright yellow rays always reminds me of one of my favorite lessons in Sara’s retreat book, “Dressing for His Glory”; “Sunflower: A Flower of “The Sun” – The Work of the Lord, I Cor. 15:58”. In that lesson Sara asks us, “Are we flowers that yield a dye to color other lives, and give a “Ray of Hope”?” I found that the Bible speaks about such a ray of hope. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day.”
Taking time to pause and gaze at Sara’s plants in the pictorial garden surely helps us sing along with the hymn… “And the joy we share as we tarry there”. Thank you, Sara, for inviting us into your garden!
As I continue to sing and read and share I find our “garden” season is much like seasonal gardens.
We return often to our seeds, blooms and roots to refresh and go out and come in. The question what do we do on our going out. Those gorgeous booms of the Hibiscus only last a day.
our scripture that inspired the hymn might still inspire us.
“But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” John 20:11-18 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.20.11-18.NKJV
The footnotes for John 20:18 says (NIV) “Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Her grief had blinded her; she couldn’t see him because she didn’t expect to see him. Then he spoke her name, and immediately she recognized him. Imagine the love that flooded her heart when she heard her Savior saying her name. Jesus is near you, he is calling your name. Can you, like Mary, regard him as your Lord? Mary did not meet the risen Christ until she had discovered the empty tomb. She responded with joy in obedience by going to tell the disciples. We cannot meet Christ until we discover that he is indeed alive, that his tomb is empty. Are you filled with joy by this good news, and do you share it with others?” 🙏. The flowers are beautiful in the above pictures! 🌼 🌺 🌹
From Tammy’s footnotes… “Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Her grief had blinded her; she couldn’t see him because she didn’t expect to see him.”
Mary seemed to have a moment of? Was it unbelief! Fear! Anxiety? Distraction? Mary heard Jesus call her name!
When he calls our name will we hear? Will we receive the Crown of righteousness because we have loved His appearing! What are some ways I can hold that thought even for today! Write it here as I am doing now? Maybe try drawing a crown in my journal? Or, give deeper thought to; do I even know what “love His appearing even means? Write a poem? Write a song? I have in the past but that too can fade fast.
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” II Timothy 4:8 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/2ti.4.8.NKJV
I think we have our answer from the same chapter …“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” II Timothy 4:5 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/2ti.4.5.NKJV
Use your spiritual gift and fulfill your ministry! We may have moments of forgetfulness for various reasons but the Good Shepherd may gently call our name! May we hear and respond just as Mary did.
Sara writes and asks: “Will we receive the Crown of righteousness because we have loved His appearing! What are some ways I can hold that thought even for today! Write it here as I am doing now? Maybe try drawing a crown in my journal? Or, give deeper thought to; do I even know what “love His appearing even means? Write a poem? Write a song? I have in the past but that too can fade fast.”
Years ago, Sara wrote a song that I recalled when I read her comment this am. I think it may help address her questions above.
“Preparing the Crown“
1991©Sara Mullennex
“Pick up your tools, O my brother.
Make them shine as a jewel for your King.
Let them shine in the unity of the Spirit,
For the building of the New Jerusalem.
Take the jewel of your hammer, O my brother.
Network with the tools of My others.
Hang the bells in the steeple, O my people,
Make it ring as a jewel for our King.
Can you hear the sound of the trumpet?
That’s a ruby in the angel’s hand.
Make it blast as a signal, O my brothers,
That you will know that the King is at hand!
Pick your guitar, O my brother.
Make it strum in the battle of the King.
Make it FIRE in the war of intercession,
As you prepare the way of the King.
Take your electronic tools and equipment.
Make them publish the records of the King.
Make those keyboards multiply the message
That these jewels are the Elect of the King.
Crown Him with praise, O my people!
Crown Him with worship at His feet, I pray!
Shout for His coming, O my people,
And you will wear My Crown on that Day!”