I think the real trick to germinating columbine is getting them fresh. When picked from the plant and thrown on the ground, (or dropped naturally by the plant) they sprout like crazy. Once the seeds sit around for a while, it gets tough to overcome their dormancy.
That said, I have germinated regular old commercial columbine seeds by wintersowing. Not all sprouted, germination rate was lower than some other plants, but I got enough sprouts.
Karen
