I planted Mrs. R.M.Finch in my NJ zone 7B garden two summers ago. Like my other polyanthas, it doesn’t seem at all unhappy in my heavy, slow-draining, alkaline clay. It has healthy leaves, flowers often, and the flushes are very full. In my no-spray garden, Mrs.R.M. Finch shrugs off black spot. It’s growing more wide than tall. I’ve read that it sets hips, but mine has not, yet. I planted this rose near a walkway, and I’m glad I did because it seems to be always in bloom. It’s just a nice workhorse of a rose.
Have a look at the comments on the Australia Felix file. All the roses labelled Australia Felix now are likely to be identical with Mrs R M Finch. Not a synonym, a mislabel. As far as we know, Australia Felix doesn't exist any more (now there's a metaphor for you). Unless there's one at Sangerhausen, but given that a plant photographed in Belgium by Jedmar appears incorrect, it's unlikely. Of course any "lost" rose may still be somewhere, without its correct name attached to it.
