Winter Daphne (Daphne odora) and Evergreen Clematis (Clematis armandii) typically start blooming in late February. Both plants have a wonderful fragrance that will perfume the area around them, and since their bloom periods overlap you get double fragrance for about a week.
Daphne is a compact evergreen shrub, typically under four feet tall, with smooth green leaves, sometimes variegated. It needs good drainage, and prefers filtered sun. It doesn’t like acid soil, but that’s no problem here. The flowers are not especially showy, but the plants are handsome compact and evergreen.
Evergreen clematis is a twining vine with dark green, glossy leaves. It tends to get a bit rangy, with the leaves growing at the top of long, wiry stems. The flowers almost cover the plant in a good year. In a bad year, or in a place where the plant is not loving life, the results will be less spectacular but you’ll still get some nice fragrance during bloom time.
A warning about both plants: they’re toxic. The Daphne is poisonous to humans and probably animals. The Clematis is toxic to dogs if eaten. I wouldn’t eat it as a human, either. So if you’re planning a 100% toxin free garden, avoid both.
Toxic plants are commonly planted in gardens. Common plants like daffodils, azaleas, rhododendrons and of course oleander. The leaves of Prunus – the genus that includes peaches, apricots and plums, along with some ornamentals – are also highly toxic. So, if this is a concern, some prior research might be useful.