L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano PAGE��� 34 FRANK���LA���ROSA The scents of Freesias in springtime are like the first kisses of ones life. The scent is fresh, exhilarating, and filled with energy. The scent of Freesias really cannot be imitated perfectly by perfumers, although they are very good at making neroli, one of my favorites. Generally, they should create their own perfumes rather that trying to imitate what nature creates. The flowers create scents, so the perfumers should do the same. Created scents are never in my opinion those of nature. Now the Freesias are blooming profusely, pouring out their scents into the air, and this makes me want to plant more for next year. Freesias require very little work for the joy that they give. Simply make sure that the earth that you grow them in is loamy and porous. Mix in plenty of organic matter such as peat moss and compost. You can dig holes and small trenches and fill them with hauled in top soil. I prefer shredded or ground up redwood compost. This is rough enough that it does not deterio- rate too quickly by dissolving into the earth as does peatmoss. Redwood compost holds moisture well and doesn���t ���run away��� over a single season, and it provides moisture retention and good drainage. Mixing in pots and then planted out in the earth. Actually, Freesias can be planted from pots and corms at any time of the year as I have done. Deriving from South Africa they will do well here in California. When leaves yellow and die down in summer, just let them alone, clip them off if you wish, and expect green blooming plants again in springtime. They will stand cold to 20F. I���ve had a planting of Freesia THURS DAY, ��� MARCH��� 28, ��� 2013 Mediterranean spirit. The less ���common��� Freesias such as the Dutch or Tecolote hybrids are truly rich in their colors. These hybrids are in reds and yellows, whites and creams, and oranges and purples. They will make a dramatic set of contrasts in a manner that a single color planting will not. Their blossoms are of various sizes, double and single petaled, some very large, and some are even scented. In cold winter areas Freesias can be easily ���forced���; that is, brought to very early bloom in late winter or early spring. These ���forced��� Freesias are what we are seeing in supermarkets and florists��� shops. To force, plant the corms in winter in pots indoors, water well, and keep them warm on a sunny window sill. Then, in springtime���March, April, or earlier���you will have those first kisses of scent and color. Easter proverbs and sayings in ever yday Italian some builders��� or coarse sand is beneficial because Freesias being of the Liliaceae group like to have lime sediments. Freesias are bought as corms, little bulblets, in the fall and planted about two inches deep. Make sure that they are planted in full sun. Or, Freesias can be bought as blooming plants in leichtlinii for over thirty years now. The ubiquitous ���Western Garden Book��� tells us it is common. So what. Many common things are beautiful. My Freesias have naturalized themselves between the gnarled roots of my main olive tree where they look very idyllic, very pastoral as in a The Italian language, as well as many others, is rich of expressions, sayings and proverbs. Whether they originated centuries ago or only recently, they reflect our culture and history, and are part of our everyday life. Many of these sayings are metaphors that use the vocabulary of Easter. What is their literary and metaphorical meaning? And where do they come from? For this special Easter issue, we want to unveil the origin of some of the most popular ���modi di dire���. These, for example, refer to the Easter day: to Be Happy Like an easter (Essere Felici Come una Pasqua) ��� In the Catholic tradition, Easter is the day of the resurrection of Jesus, and so it is a day of great joy. When we say someone is as happy as an Easter, we mean that person is truly happy. to Have easter Come on a Sunday (Venire la Pasqua di Domenica) - Easter always comes on a Sunday; therefore this sentence is referred to whatever happens at the right moment or as expected. Some sayings instead use the metaphor of the Lent: as Long as Lent (Lungo Come una Quaresima) ��� Lent is the 40 days period preceding Easter day. It is a moment of penitence, characterized by fasting and prayer. Not exactly a pleasing practice, especially if you intend to observe it for the full length��� For this reason, Italians say someone is as long as Lent when he���s boring or long-winded. He Squandered everything and now does Lent (Ha Sciupato Tutto e Adesso Fa Quaresima) - Once again, involving the ritual of Lent, this sentence is referred to someone who has wasted everything and now can only live in poverty. Some other sayings refer to the symbol of the Holy Cross, like the following ones: to throw the Cross against Someone (Gettare la Croce Addosso a Qualcuno) - The Holy Cross was carried by Jesus as he was accused of being a criminal; it is a symbol of guilt. To throw the cross against someone means to leave them the responsibility of something. to Carry your Own Cross (Portare la Propria Croce) ��� Jesus carried his cross to the Calvary, enduring effort and pain; whoever deals with hard times in his life is carrying his own cross. the Cross you make By yourself is the Heaviest (La Croce che Ci Si Fa Da Soli �� La Pi�� Pesante) ��� It refers to the pain we cause to ourselves as a consequence of our negligence. Apparently, the pain is more when caused by our own mistakes... Another common saying uses the metaphore of the Resurrection: to Be Like Saint thomas (Essere Come San Tommaso) ��� We say this to someone who won���t believe something until he sees it with his own eyes. The Apostle Thomas in fact, did not believe Jesus had risen until Jesus himself came to him. Finally, the most used of all the Italian proverbs related to this festivity: Natale con i Tuoi, Pasqua con Chi Vuoi, or Christmas with the family, Easter with whoever you like!

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