In Lennon’s garden

John and Sean in the living room. Photo: Kishin Shinoyama

Michael Barbosa Medeiros worked for the Lennons as a freelance houseplant doctor. He first met John Lennon and Yoko Ono in this role when they hired him to decorate their Dakota apartment with plants and indoor trees. Lennon liked him, and at one point Yoko asked if Michael would like to become a personal assistant to John.

Michael declined her request. His intuition told him that he could lose his own identity in the orbit of Yoko’s powerful personality. Nevertheless, whenever at the apartment, or when summoned to the Dakota, he served as their assistant.

“After John’s murder, I began to write about our encounters and conversations; writing became my way to grieve for him. Following this mourning period, I continued to write about him when the anniversaries of his birth and death were celebrated. Sometimes only for a day or two each year; but often for weeks afterward, I continued to write. This has occurred ever since his murder. By forging this memoir, John has remained alive for one more sentence, one more paragraph, and one more page—one more day”. 

Michael was in charge of the trees and plants in the apartment

Michael’s writings has been used as a basis to put together a book about his experiences, “In Lennon’s Garden: an intimate portrait of John’s final years”. The publication of this book has been delayed, and in the mean time, Michael has decided to publish edited excerpts of the book’s chapters on a website, which you will find here: John-Lennons-Garden.com. Take a look!