Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Salvia Cacaliifolia and Opuntia Basilaris

First blooms today on Salvia cacaliifolia and Opuntia basilaris. The Opuntia is in a pot. Another one, planted in the ground below the kitchen window, has buds, but none are close to blooming yet. The potted one gets considerably more sun.

I first saw this attractive Opuntia, or prickly pear, in the area around Boulder Dam, where California, Nevada, and Arizona come together. It was early April and many of these were in bloom on rocky, well-drained slopes along the roadsides. About a year ago, I bought two pads from a specialist cactus nursery in Arizona. They rooted easily. This is the first time either of them has bloomed. As you can see from the photograph, the one in the pot is putting out new pads as well.