My garden has been ruined by ????

Do you have squirrels nearby. I once spent a whole day planting up around 15 large pots with plants and bulbs. Went in in the eatly evening to sort dinner. After dinner and s cuppa went out to water them to find everything pulled up and scattered all over the lawn and path. The culprits were sat in the apple trees with some of the plants !!! I phoned my mum to tell her how mad I was and she laughed and said they must have been watching you prepare their dinner 🤨

You re absolutely right Nannynoodles I just have cats, seagulls and pigeons which defo don’t turn the tubs over 🤣the cats do poo in unlikely places though. Yuk
ButI still stick to what I believe, the animals belong in the rural areas, and we ve ( well you not me) have encroached on their territory and their food larders, so we need to be mindful and make out gardens as indestructible as possible it’s our responsibility not theirs

In my garden the most damage, similar to your description, is caused by deer particularly muntjacks. Then again the rabbits and squirrels do their fair share too. Soul destroying at times but I look on it as the penalty I pay for living in a rural location. never had badgers causing trouble - yet!

Some of what you say is true BlueBelle but you also say you have never seen a fox so never had one destroy your garden!
Also they do not slink around at night, they are as bold as brass in the daytime.
Actually foxes seem to survive rather well here - there are far more than there ever used to be, and so becoming a problem.

How very sad but how lucky are you to live in such a wildlife haven I ve never even seen a fox or a badger
nannynoodle foxes are not vandals they are trying to live where their environment has been taken away from them for yours and others housing They don’t wake up of a morning and say “ahh let’s go and destroy nannynoodles garden they are looking for food to try and keep them and their families alive. Their habitat has been decimated and they have to slink around at night hunting for an alternative they have to deviate
.
Back to the problem, is your garden fenced or open plan if the second I think you need to invest in some fencing and as others have said maybe higher planters. You will have to do some homework and maybe read up on some of the celebrity gardeners ideas for working with wildlife There will be plants and planters that deter them
I really feel for you as our plants are our children aren’t they I know how sad I get when a cat digs up my bulbs but I ve let my vines, rose thorns and creepers creep all over my walls so they no longer jump into my garden.
I m really sad for you but hopefully some homework and adjustments will make for a happier outcome next time.

Peanuts - they adore them.

Without a doubt it’s badgers, we had them dig and barge through a new 6’ high garden fence, I couldn’t believe it until we saw the footprints they’d left behind.
A boar badger is a very hefty creature, build like a tank so very capable of making real carnage.
I’m so sorry that they’ve wrecked your lovely garden, you must be heartbroken. I wish I could do something to help 🤗

Could the planters be raised in any way chicken? If they were higher they might be out of reach of wildlife…….and it could potentially be easier for you to tend them and chicken mesh - excuse the pun - would deter animals too.

It’s foxes that do the damage here. I’ve found one on top of a newly planted trough digging the whole lot out.
They have also pulled out newly planted shrubs and sit boldly on my garden table looking for the next thing to destroy.
I know many people have a soft spot for foxes but honestly they are complete and utter vandals.

It was badgers, it would be interesting to install a cheap wildlife camera. Strong animals, they are difficult to keep out. You might find badger poo and they love the likes of sweetcorn and make an area look as though vandals have been in

Squirrels have devastated planted tubs here. Compost scattered, plants uprooted. The next season we replaced the compost and re-planted adding chicken wire across the top of the tubs, cutting it around the plants. Once the plants grew the chicken wire became invisible. Our squirrels moved on to easier access containers.

How sad.
I imagine that creating your courtyard garden cost you a great deal of money and work.
It sounds like badgers to me.
I think that I wouldn't resote it until you can badger proof your garden.
Easier said than done .

Can you see how any large animal has accessed your courtyard? As a PP asked have your got a wall or fence round your garden? Is there any sign of digging under either?

Would it be worth ringing the non emergency police number, 101 I think but I maybe wrong, and ask if any one else has reported anything similar in your neighbourhood or if they have any idea of what may have caused the damage.

Squirrels don’t overturn my pots but many mornings I find they have dug out loads of the soil and scattered it all over the place. They have also pulled out some of my flowers.
I started to hang bits of shiny tin foil around the pots and that seems to have scared them off for now.

Chicken, that must be devastating, when I first read your post, I just thought vandals, but now it seems it's animals doing this, can you get a camera installed.

The foxes used to dig holes and hide their ill gotten gains in my mums pots.

She found a couple of pork pies, almost all of a chinese takeaway, a few used condoms, and countless soiled nappies.

I have seen them - and found the cat poo!

Cats and birds both do this here.
The foxes don't.

Oh and occasionally a squirrel.

How sad, I'd be devastated. No ideas, sorry. I just have foxes and there are so many wild bits at the end of my long garden (I need help it's so big) they don't touch pots and so on.

I'd pay someone to help you with "badger proof and easy care" to set up a new situation so you can still potter and maintain it yourself? I like the feeding badger idea but might they not eat both and invite family in?

Squirrels could be the culprits, we have a park nearby and they often come into my backyard and uproot plants and flowers making an awful mess in order to bury or retrieve their nuts/food.
They are pretty good diggers for such a small creature.

Poor you. How easy is it for an animal to get into your courtyard garden. Is it surrounded by a wall?
Badgers usually dig under fences to gain access or failing that just bash their way through.
A fox can climb over a wall but a badger can’t.
Do you have squirrels or rabbits? They can be very destructive.

Nothing was tipped over, just dug out, and I’ve never seen any evidence of badgers around here.

Foxes used to do things like this in my mum's garden, but I'm sure it will be badgers to have tipped such heavy pots and troughs in yours.

They're really muscular (badgers, not troughs!)

I've had badgers do this to a tub, what a shame I'm sorry they've spoiled your flowers.

Most likely badgers. They are very strong creatures and turning tubs upside down searching for worms etc would be no problem for them. They are protected so can’t be culled. Have you asked if there are any setts around?