Which has the nicest leaves is entirely a matter of opinion.

The pumpkin has fairly large leaves and needs a place to sprawl all over. I planted some in a vegetable bed and also planted some around the base of the house. I intend to let it go wandering around the foundation. The zucchini, likes to do the same thing but the leaves are smaller.

I stake my eggplant and tomatoes. I have never thought that was very attractive and the tomatoes seem to want to outgrow whatever area I give them - they end up looking like a tangled mess and I just ignore it.

I do like the leaves on the eggplant and I have always thought the fruit had an unusual sort of beauty.

Bush zucchini or melon plants are compact and have nice, tropical looking leaves held high on stalks, so are nice for a front garden. The flowers are a nice addition. Ditto compact cukes, except the flowers are too small to be of interest.

The prettiest leaves, in my opinion, are watermelon. You can also find compact varieties of those, though they still tend to sprawl somewhat. They are pretty growing on a trellis or fence, though, and if you pick a small-fruited variety, you can put the fruits in cute little slings hung from the support!

For tomatoes, pick a determinate variety, especially one meant for pots. You can still grow them in the ground, and they need little or no support. Some of the new varieties are pretty good. I used to grow "Patio", which was a very compact 18" bush loaded with small but good-tasting tomatoes. Don't know if it is still available.

As for peppers and eggplant-- can't go wrong with them. They are just plain pretty no matter where they are planted, or which variety you use.

Dayle Ann

For a tomato there is a variety called 'Silver Fir Tree' it is an ornamental small variety. There are other determinate varieties, but 'Silver fir Tree' has pretty foliage.
My bush Romanesco type zucchini has attractive foliage.
And I agree with the about the peppers, there are lots of varieties that look great as ornamental plants.

Thank you so much! I will try some of your suggestions -- it's really great to have help narrowing down the hundreds of choices. Thought you might enjoy these two photos I took in England:

The lettuce was bred at Hadspen to be this color so that it could be allowed to bolt and make these little red trees.

This was part of the vegetable garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage.

LOL- If I don't cut lettuce regularly, I always end up with tree-shaped lettuce plants! Have to admit that red variety is awfully pretty. Not for my garden though- no room to spare. I do grow colored chard, though, and cut just the outer leaves--it just keeps producing and looking beautiful.

Dayle Ann