My garden has been ruined by ????

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?

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.

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.

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?

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

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!)

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

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.

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.

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?

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

Oh and occasionally a squirrel.

I have seen them - and found the cat poo!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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

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.

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.

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 🤗

Peanuts - they adore them.

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.