A Nocturnal visitor!

I stopped buying bulbs for mice dig them up . I don't really do garden now for too many pests

Julia, I had a similar problem last year and never did find the culprit!

Paul I was tempted but the beauty of bulbs overrode that feeling...Shirley I think I can remember you being affected the same way...very annoying isn't it.

Oh Julia! What a nightmare for you. I’m guessing maybe squirrels? May be a fox?
I had a patient several years ago and he had the same issues, it was due to squirrels in his case.

I've given a like for the cheek of the culprit but that is something that would actually really get my dander up, we are lucky here as don't have those sort of problems...

Was talking to a badger enthusiast today and he said there would be much more damage if one of those entered your garden. I wasn't too happy Lincs...especially putting all my time and effort into it as you do,I know.

Every morning without fail I have to clear the pavers in the rose garden, the earth gets scattered every day, now of course its mud, very often have to replant pansies and violas, sometimes bulbs, its the blackbirds I'm sure, now I love birds, they are part of our garden but why out of a garden this size do the little beggars have to pick that area M'land, its frustrating me so much that next year I'm already planning to dig the plants and bulbs out, put a liner in and lay granite around the rose bushes, I can still have colour if I want for springtime as I can stand pots on the pavers....

I can sense your frustration Lincs...the blackbirds are little ------- here too ,but I find that behaviour you mentioned happens here during the Spring and Summer....they enjoyed flicking the bark onto the drive...every morning I had to brush it up onto the border....got so fed up doing this we added a wide slate border...that did deter their gymnastic activities!!!

A badger can be a pain - they have such big feet. Hope it doesn't decide to dig a latrine in the lawn.

You will be the first to know Stera!

Sorry i ticked 'like', what devastation. Pity the badger didnt stay in the countryside.

So sorry to see this Julia. You must have been really annoyed! I suppose digging for grubs and worms, but if you used bought compost, there wouldn't be any in the pots. To see them knocked over like that you would think it was a badger though or a dog? Well whatever it was, let's hope they didn't find what they wanted, so won't be back..x

No worries Siris...we do live semi rurally with trees and fields around us.Throughout the year it's a menagerie of creatures making paths through our garden.

Janey,I've wondered a lot...still it's another day...the bulbs are an attraction.

Yes, creatures are creatures, no malice intended with them. Freezing cold here today, no planting bulbs outside. Most of my tulips will be in pots, new ones this year..:o)

Sorry to hear of your visitors & their unwelcome activities. It’s so annoying, having to put it all straight again.I hope the netting will do the job. The squirrels dig like that in my garden too, but they don’t knock the pots over!

Thank you FF...that is a point..
I did think of your last point eg: size of pot....the mind boggles...I think it's more likely to be a badger as my son had sited one in the previous week.The usual hibernating animals are tending to accomodate our milder climate now.

You'll probably be able to spot a footprint somewhere - they aren't like anybody else's. I got rid of one here by scattering a bit of chilli powder where it was messing up, but once I got a bit in my own eye and it was so painful I vowed I would never do it again to any creature.

I used chilli powder once to stop the squirrels. I had to put a polythene bag over my head as the stuff made me gasp. However I looked out of the window after & the squirrels were happily digging away completely oblivious to it,so it just didn’t work,waste of money. What are they affected by, I wonder.

FF I've avoided chilli powder to be on the safe side...we have found a good alternative and it seems to be working. I planted some tulip bulbs yesterday making sure they were deep and covered with chicken wire.