Spring preparations in full bloom at the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 8, 2025) — As spring takes hold across the Bluegrass, the University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management division has been hard at work preparing campus for a season of renewal and transformation. From vibrant flower displays and turf revitalization to system-wide cooling transitions, teams across UK Grounds, Campus Maintenance and Utilities and Energy Management are ensuring the university is ready — no matter what the season brings.

A campus in bloom

The UK Grounds team is embracing the spirit of the season with a range of landscaping initiatives aimed at beautifying campus. Now through May 9, a limited number of show beds will be tilled, fertilized and planted with vibrant flowers to add seasonal color to key campus locations. These flower beds have a significant visual impact, creating welcoming spaces for the campus community and visitors.

The grounds team works collectively to choose annuals and perennials for flower beds taking into consideration size, height, color and flowering coordination. This year, show beds will include many blue and white flowers planted in time for graduation as well as some pops of red and yellow across campus.

“One of our main goals is creating a physical campus environment that our students, faculty, staff and visitors can enjoy” said Corey Baker, grounds manager. “The grounds team is passionate about caring for the university grounds and enjoys showcasing our abilities and talents so students and families can enjoy flowers blooming throughout the season and for special events such as graduation photos and summer orientation.”

Grounds crews are also busy addressing turf damaged by winter weather. Targeted efforts are under way to promote lush, green lawns throughout campus. These efforts will continue through the spring season.

Other seasonal tasks include hedge cutbacks to encourage healthy growth and preserve sight lines in high-traffic areas, as well as pothole repairs on campus roads to ensure smoother, safer travel.

Preparing for rising temperatures

Spring isn’t just about flowers and lush grass — it also brings unpredictable weather, fluctuating temperatures and the need for major system transitions from heating to cooling. UK’s Campus Maintenance team plays a critical role in making sure campus buildings remain comfortable as temperatures climb.

Throughout the winter, maintenance teams are already preparing for spring by draining chilled water coils in more than 200 campus buildings to prevent freezing. During this downtime, they perform preventative tasks such as cleaning air plenums, pressure washing coils, checking for leaks and changing filters. The chilled water system has been fully refilled across campus and ready to cool buildings once again.

“The campus cooling system operates on an energy-efficient method known as free cooling, which takes advantage of lower external air temperatures to assist in cooling buildings,” said Harold “Tree” Sandford, associate director of campus maintenance and operations. “This approach not only helps maintain comfort in campus buildings but also aligns with Facilites Mangement’s commitment to sustainable and economical building operations.”

Utilities and energy: Always weather-ready

The Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) team remains on high alert as spring weather rolls in ready to respond to any weather-related issues that could impact campus operations. With rapidly changing temperatures this time of year, UEM closely monitors and adjusts heating and cooling systems to maintain comfort across campus. To get ready for spring weather, the team conducted vital maintenance on chillers, including oil changes, tube cleaning and servicing the cooling towers.

With the cooling transition complete, UEM is already looking ahead and preparing the campus heating system for its next season. That includes part replacements, scheduled downtime and preparing for the installation of a new central boiler. Two of the university’s three heating plants will remain operational to provide year-round steam for hot water and medical equipment sterilization.

Spring is a time of transformation at the University of Kentucky — not just in the landscape, but in the systems that support daily activities on campus. Thanks to the behind-the-scenes efforts of Facilities Management, UK remains beautiful and comfortable as the seasons change.