My garden has been ruined by ????

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?

The deer nibble and graze their way round my garden. They like the buds of nearly everything but they are neat eaters.

I doubt they would unearth tubs. More likely big crows or gulls.

It will be badgers.I know it's not great for your garden but they and foxes are having a tough time lately with this extremely hot and dry weather. It's making it so hard for them to find food as they can't get worms and grubs from the hard ground .We have a large sett near us but also a huge new housing development being built. So I feel sorry for them.Losing habitat.
Maybe I shouldn't but I put out a couple of eggs most nights to give them something to eat.I find then they leave my pots alone.

Could it be badgers? I know near our village where the new housing estates and industrial units are being developed, it has displaced the natural habitats of wildlife and badgers have been
known to overturn earth in the local cemetery and other places. Would it be worth installing a camera to discover what is happening?