About Owner Kayla

Hello everyone! I am Kayla Gajdascz, owner and co-founder of Mental Houseplants™, a company dedicated to promoting the connection between indoor plants and mental wellness. As a person with ADHD and other mental diagnoses, I understand the challenges of maintaining good mental health and the difficulties that come with navigating through one’s mental health journey. Caring for plants helped me find new confidence in myself that helped me discover the positive impact plants can have on one's mental health and well-being.

My plant journey begins with just two plants, a Cat Palm and a Boston Fern, then eventually a Monstera Deliciosa named Ophelia. Ophelia overcame many plant related obstacles and soon became a symbol of resilience and strength to me. This encouragement found in Ophelia quickly started my addiction to expand to now over 80 houseplants. I was and still am amazed by how caretaking for these living beings increased my well-being, helped me practice mindfulness, increased my confidence in my own abilities, and so much more. This is why I am passionate about sharing my story and the benefits of indoor plants with others.

Another reason I am passionate about sharing mental wellness is because of my own mental health journey. As a survivor of childhood trauma and navigating life without my diagnoses until I was 25, I struggled for a long time with my mental health. It took a toll on many factors of my life including relationships with friends and family, my ability to excel in undergraduate school, and affected the way I saw myself. I was 25 years old when I decided I was tired of living in my own head and found the encouragement to seek therapy. Through the support of my now husband and a few of my closest family and friends, I was able to heal and grow into the person I am today. I was able to understand my diagnoses and learn how to overcome the challenges that come with. I aspire to inspire others and prove that with determination and self-care, anyone can overcome life's challenges and achieve their goals.

Through creating Mental Houseplants with my husband, Nolan Gajdascz, we hope to encourage others, provide support, build community, and share tips to help you succeed caring for plants and how to improve overall wellness and mental health with the power of plants!

On our Instagram Page, I have a more in depth description of how plants transformed me! Check it out by clicking the button below!