Until the story’s final, joyful resolution, its last chapters continue the up-and-down pattern: Each time Gregory finds some happiness, a reversal comes along and he ends up sad again. This keeps narrative tension high by creating a new source of conflict each time it seems as if the problems in Gregory’s life are easing. Just as in earlier chapters he was disappointed about not having his own room and not being able to plant a real garden, in Chapter 8 he is at least temporarily saddened by Vance and his classmates’ scorn over his improvised garden. Gregory’s deep unhappiness is conveyed both by his loss of appetite for chocolate chip ice cream and by his usually too busy mother worrying about his health and taking the time to have a more in-depth conversation with him about what is going on in his life.

Mother fussing over Gregory in Chapter 8 is juxtaposed with Gregory’s family’s behavior in the previous chapter. Chapter 7 highlights how little attention Gregory is getting at home—despite his best efforts to draw his parents into his world. In Chapter 7, Mother again refuses to come and see Gregory’s special refuge and again expresses her disapproval of it. She does not acknowledge how limited his opportunities are—he does not have any other place to play. His father, who is more jovial, jokes about coming to see the garden at some future time when its strawberries are ripe. Since Gregory can draw the strawberries in any stage of ripeness he chooses, however, Daddy’s suggestion of a future visit is clearly meant as humor, not a serious promise. Nor can Gregory turn to Uncle Max. Gregory is so alienated by Max’s constant teasing and dismissal of his feelings that he does not even bother to ask Max to come see the garden. He knows that “Uncle Max would only laugh” (42). Gregory’s isolation within his own home is further emphasized by a full-page drawing of him trying to talk to his parents while his mother does dishes and his father reads the paper, neither one fully attending to Gregory. 

Gregory places rows of sunflowers in his garden, symbolically representing the act of growing and thriving. This further develops the text’s theme of The Importance of the Authentic Self. He makes the garden murals more and more elaborate, adding a variety of plants, trees, water, and small creatures like the toad and birds. A full-page drawing on page 45 shows him on a ladder, adding pears to a drawing of a tree. His tree is very nearly life-sized, emphasizing how hard Gregory is willing to work to express his vision. Gregory shows this same dedication when he is afraid that the rain may have damaged his garden and goes out early to repair his drawings, almost making himself late for school.

The school’s response to Gregory’s creation is more nuanced than that of his family. Miss Perry is curious about Gregory’s garden, but when he shares his excitement with her, Vance interprets this as more bragging. The unexpected visit from his classmates to the garden drawing is both hurtful and sets in motion the resolution Gregory has been dreaming of all along. Because Ivy has now seen Gregory’s garden, she is certain that Gregory is the best artist in the school. Because she has seen the other students mock him, she is determined to speak up for him. When Ivy shares her thoughts about Gregory’s garden, her status as an artist is enough to interest Miss Perry and Miss Cartwright in a visit. 

Miss Perry’s and Miss Cartwright’s amazement at what Gregory has accomplished affirms his Not Being Defined by Circumstances. Even though Gregory lives in a situation that limits his ability to grow and nurture a “real” garden, he creates the same beauty in his chalk garden and tends it carefully. His teachers are thoroughly impressed by his ability to make the best of the resources he has access to.

Miss Perry and Miss Cartwright’s praise for Gregory is a significant part of the story’s happy ending. What matters most to Gregory, however, is overcoming his isolation. He has been trying to bring his busy parents into his world for most of the story. He has been avoiding Uncle Max because of Max’s mockery. He has not been able to make friends at school. The story’s resolution is a clear endorsement of The Transformative Power of Art: Through his art, Gregory finally succeeds in getting his parents’ attention, Max’s respect, and the friendship of his peers. Most importantly, he succeeds in making friends with Ivy, a fellow artist. Through his optimism, his determination, and his dedication to art, Gregory transforms his world for the better and earns the happiness he has believed would eventually be his.