Zend Date how to check if date is between two given dates

Question

I'm trying to compare a date, I have two given dates, and I want to know if current date is between these given dates.

here my function

private function isDateDiscount($start, $end)
{
    $start = new Zend_Date($start);
    $end = new Zend_Date($end);
    $today = new Zend_Date();
    if ($today->isLater($start) && $today->isEarlier($end)){
        return true;
    } else {
        return false;
    }
}

I use this function in my Zend_Db_Table_Row_Abstract extension in this way:

public function getPrice($withDiscount=false)
{
    $price = $this->prezzo;
    if (true == $this->isDiscounted() && true == $withDiscount && $this->isDateDiscount($this->inizioSconto, $this->fineSconto)) {
        $discount = $this->sconto;
        $discounted = ($price*$discount)/100;
        $price = round($price - $discounted, 2);
    }
    return $price;
}

private function isDiscounted()
{
    return 0 == $this->sconto ? false : true;
}

where the value $this->inizioSconto and $this->fineSconto are in my Database and they are a sql Date