Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’
Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’ is an eye-catching, compact columbine variety prized for its striking two-tone flowers and reliable, bushy habit. With fully double blooms in rich red and crisp white, it adds a splash of elegance and movement to spring borders, containers, and cottage garden schemes. Easy to grow and attractive to pollinators, it’s a long-standing favourite for adding charm to any garden.
Quick Facts
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Common Name: Columbine
Flower Colour: Deep red with white centres, fully double
Height: 35cm (1.1ft)
Spread: 35cm (1.1ft)
Flowering Time: May to June
Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -15 to -10 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H5)
Position: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile soil; suitable for neutral to slightly alkaline conditions
Striking Two-Tone Blooms
The standout feature of ‘Winky Double Red-White’ is its fully double, nodding flowers in rich ruby-red with clean white centres. Each bloom resembles a small, layered rosette and appears in abundance over several weeks in late spring to early summer. These distinctive flowers add a touch of sophistication and bold contrast to mixed planting schemes.
Compact and Upright Habit
Unlike some columbines that can grow tall and floppy, the ‘Winky’ series is known for its neat, upright form and bushy growth. Its tidy size makes it perfect for the front of borders, narrow beds, containers, or edging along pathways. It’s a great choice where space is limited but impactful colour is desired.
Attractive to Pollinators
Like all aquilegias, this variety is rich in nectar and much loved by bees and early butterflies. Its open flowers provide easy access for pollinators, making it a valuable plant for wildlife-friendly gardens.
Versatile and Easy to Grow
Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’ is well suited to a wide range of garden styles, from traditional cottage gardens to more contemporary mixed borders. It thrives in sun or dappled shade, tolerates a variety of soil types, and needs very little attention once established.
Growing Tips
Watering: Keep soil moist during active growth, especially in dry spring weather.
Feeding: A light feed in early spring with a balanced fertiliser will support healthy flowering.
Pruning: Deadhead regularly to prolong the flowering period and reduce self-seeding. Cut back foliage in late summer if it becomes untidy.
Potted: Grows well in deep containers with moisture-retentive, free-draining compost.
Propagation: Allow some flowers to go to seed if you want natural spread, or divide clumps in early spring.
Fully Hardy and Weather Tolerant
This aquilegia is fully hardy in the UK and performs well even in exposed or colder gardens. Its flowers stand up well to spring weather, and its hardy roots ensure a reliable return each year.
Companion Planting Ideas
Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’ pairs beautifully with a variety of spring and early summer plants, such as:
These companions create a richly layered and colourful spring display with plenty of textural contrast.
Why Choose Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’?
For gardeners seeking bold spring colour, refined flower form, and dependable performance in a compact package, Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Red-White’ is an excellent choice. It brings vibrancy to borders, grace to containers, and supports pollinators — all with minimal fuss.
Add this striking columbine to your garden for elegant blooms that return reliably each spring.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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