Several years back when I first began learning about all the different essential oils, there always seemed to be a push to get the "most popular" or "pushed" oil as it were (and is today). However, someone I took a class from or maybe interacted with online said something very profound that has stuck with me to this day.
He or she said, "There is more to essential oils than what we know. There are many plants that we have yet to distill, especially on a local level..." Of course, I had to ask questions and in doing so I realized that in my own local area I had several aromatic oil bearing plants. Some of these plant materials include fresh citruses (there are several varieties!), Ponderosa Pine, Alligator Juniper, Pinion Pine, Engelmann Spruce, Douglas-fir, Yarrow, and several others!
Living in the lower lying area of the desert in Arizona, I couldn't believe how many aromatic plants were so close to me. Most were even within a couple hours! I started researching potential distillers and soon enough found one within just a few hours of me! And she is a true artisan distiller!
This small thing of researching the local flora and seeking a distiller led me to ultimately do what I do - share the best artisan essential oils and hydrosols I can find with you! And what an amazing journey it has been!
Moral of the story, look up the aromatic oil bearing plants that may be growing in your own backyard and see what you can learn from them. Seek out local to you distillers. You never know what story will unfold as you learn and grow with them.