The Seven of Pentacles symbolizes the reward that comes at the end of hard work. In Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Pollack says:

Meaningful work gives more than material benefit; the person too grows. The Seven shows the moment of being able to look back with satisfction on something accomplished. The "something" may be as broad as a career or as simple as an immediate project. The card implies that whatever has been built up (including relationships between people) has reached a point where it can grow by itself, and the person can step back from it without it collapsing.

The card shows a man admiring the garden that he has worked long and hard to create. It represents a time of reflection, of contemplation, of looking back on our accomplishments and being proud of the work that we have done. But the man on the card is simply pausing in his work, the fact that he is leaning on his hoe as he stands in the garden indicates that he has only paused in his labors for a moment, perhaps to catch his breath, or to enjoy the morning sunshine; the garden is a work in progress. In Learntarot.com, Joan Bunning says:

The Seven of Pentacles is not a card of endings or final decisions. The game is not over, but only on hold for a moment. Once you've gotten your breath back and checked your strategy, be ready to jump back in and work even harder than before.