New pond advice please!

[70fingers]

We're going to be digging our wildlife pond over the next week or so. It would be great to get some advice from anyone wo has already done it. We've read around on the net so have got some basic ideas but would love your thoughts on the following:
1. It's going to be a fairly small pond. We know it needs to be at least 18 inches deep and needs a shelf for marginals - is there a minimum size? We were kind of thinking about 3foot by 5foot but is that too small?
2. Recommendations for plants would be great - we'd like to stay as natural as possible.
Any tips that you wish you'd had before starting would also be very gratefully received  :) :)

Thanks in advance!

[70fingers]

[Roy Bham UK]

:( Without trying to sound like a killjoy, I can think of 50 fingers that maybe safer without a pond, :-\ sorry :(

[teresa]

Yes children and water but if yours are old enough go for it.
theres enough of them to look after each other different with only one to keep an eye on.
Marsh marigold one of the first to flower oxygenators to improve the water and watch the wild life move in dont for get the slop to frogs etc can climb out.
Then the children will be asking for goldfish ha ha.

[maz]

Raised ponds like mine are safer but I see 70F says shes got her plans already.

There are lots of tips I can think of so 70F if you are still about, giz a shout.

[undercarriage plan]

I have 4 kids and 2 ponds! Still have 4 kids!! Make them safe and make sure kids understand dangers.  They are a source of great enjoyment, and beats sitting in front of the box watching people watching ponds! My pond is about the size you are planning, and it's teeming with life. It tends to start the season quite green, but when the plants pop up and I add some barley straw in an old stocking, it soon clears up.  Make it safe and enjoy it.  You need about one third of the surface covered to avoid to much algae build up.  Lottie  ;D