I'm just guessing, but squirrels once did a lot of digging around my plants...they never hauled them off, though...

There are two differant species of animals that may be your culprit , especially if you garden "Organic" One is a passing dog or coyote that is attracted to the smell of compost or blood meal. the other crittur is a darn Armadillo that digs for grubs or earthworms. They have done more damage to my flowerbeds than any stray bulldozer could have done, sometimes digging holes that are a foot deep and the plant dug up-- no where to be found! Strong

Our pup is digging my plants up like crazy, but I find them here and there. I am really getting upset with him! So far, I have replanted several irises.....I think he is digging for the blasted moles that have completely plowed our yard. Between the dog and the moles and the drought, gardening is going to be a challenge this year.....

I hope you find what is doing the damage soon. It is expensive, to say nothing of the work involved planting them.

Thanks for the replies. I don't garden organic so the armadillo sounds like the most likely answer. My neighbors told me about them digging at the roots but said they would not take the plants away. Is there anything I can put down to keep them away? During the warmer months I have used products for the deer, will that work?
Paul

The armodeados are in your yard because you garden. Which means lots of food. With the drought the grubs are not plentiful except in our yards. IF you wait up can see them at work. Dogs will chase them off but they dont scare easy. In my yard a 22 disposes of them. They have been really bad this year. Seems like I have filled more holes than any other year. They rank just above snakes. Dont like either one. We call them armodeados because you mainly see them dead by the side of the road. Judy

I have had plants dug up by armadillos, but the plant is never carried off. Voles will eat plants, but they don't make a big dug up area that you can see. Voles can really do alot of damage. My yard flooded once and all the mulch and a layer of topsoil carried away. The extent of the vole tunnels was then exposed and it was a wonder I had anything growing in that bed at all. It was a total network of tunnels.It is early to give up on hostas. I thought I lost mine once because of voles. When warm weather came, most of the hostas came up. I was looking for them where the markers were. My markers were two feet from the center of a big plant.