Step, drill, repeat.
It’s a beautiful, sunny morning on the Forty Acres. The Texas flag waves proudly as two landscapers rake through fresh soil, preparing it for hundreds of bright orange marigolds.
David Francis measures the space between each hole with his dark brown cowboy leather boot before digging the next one with a planting auger. Francis, who has worked at The University of Texas for eight years, is the greenhouse coordinator with UT Grounds and Landscape. He manages the care of all plants in the greenhouse and makes plans for the rest of his team, which is overseen by Jeff McManus.
Big changes have been underway for the landscaping team since McManus joined as the executive director of Grounds and Landscape in Spring 2025. McManus spent nearly 25 years at the University of Mississippi before coming to UT. In his time at Ole Miss, he most notably oversaw The Grove, a green space for tailgating widely known across the country. In November 2025 he was awarded the E. Earl Wilson Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society for his longtime dedication to his craft.
McManus’ vision is simple: Cultivate greatness in others.
McManus says his love of agriculture started early on with the help of his father, who grew up on a farm and has a degree in agriculture.
“At an early age, I was driving a tractor and doing things,” McManus says. “It’s really helped me in my career because I understand, literally from the ground up, what we’re doing.”
McManus strives for excellence in everything he does at UT. He says the biggest challenge is teaching others to do the same since he is no longer doing the physical labor.
“You’re having to reproduce excellence through other people,” McManus says. “It’s about growing their confidence, showing them what professionalism looks like as far as pruning and how to do those types of things.”
One of the first projects McManus worked on at UT was the renovation of the flag courts just south of the Main Building. He says he was able to upgrade the irrigation system, making it more efficient and conserving more water.
This project stretches from the east side of Battle Hall to the front of Garrison Hall. According to Tim Kihnel, irrigation and water conservation coordinator, the old irrigation system had only eight zones, as opposed to the new one’s 22.
“We try to conserve as much water as we can and use it wisely,” Kihnel says.
On a balmy morning a year after the renovations began, Francis and gardener Daniel Pryor continue to plant each marigold bud with care. They hope that, under McManus’ leadership, their department can become more well-known to the UT community.
“We’re definitely a behind-the-scenes kind of organization,” Pryor says. “I wish that, I wouldn’t necessarily say that we got more recognition, but the beds we do got more recognition.”
Pryor also hopes for more input from students. Luckily for him, the University is providing just that while updating its Campus Master Plan. The goal of the plan is to create a cohesive look across campus, which includes landscapes and green spaces as well as buildings, landmarks and infrastructure.
This is the first time the University has updated the plan since 2013. Staff, faculty and students were able to offer their input in a survey earlier this year.
“We are growing some of the best-looking landscapes to recruit some of the top students in the world,” McManus says. “Then they go on and change the world because they’re in this great environment of excellence.”
As he looks to the future, McManus hopes to continue growing leaders in his department.This includes Landscape Longhorn University, a new initiative that trains UT’s landscaping employees in a more cohesive, meticulous way.
“We have a lot of good people who work with us, a lot of hardworking people,” McManus says.
Back at the flag courts, Francis and Pryor say they love to hear what students, faculty and staff think about their work. So next time you see them working, be sure to stop and say hello.
Pryor gently places a marigold plant into the fresh soil.
Francis, left, and Pryor rake the soil before planting additional flowers.
