Willy Nilly Dilly Beans

After cooking a "mess" of Blue Lake green beans from my garden for several meals, I decided to pickle the remaining crop.  (Do people outside of the South know "mess"?)  These questions came up:  Should I allow bean tips to stick up into the top of the jar into the head space?  and what kind of spices should I use?  I consulted a few recipes and decided on dill seed, garlic clove, peppercorn, and red pepper flakes for seasoning.  Then...Walmart was out of dill seed!  (Oh goodness, what I would give for a Publix out here in the country!)  Well, I bought Ball Pickling Spices and used 1/2 the recommended amount, plus the pepper flakes, garlic and dill seed I later located.  Here are the results:  The beans are highly edible, but smell a little like Bread and Butter pickles due to the Ball spices.  Next time I'll go purely dill.  Also, the issue with the beans in the head space and possible not covered in vinegar was not a problem, as the beans in my jar floated to the top and there is a space at the bottom of each jar.  (See photo.)  I'd like to eliminate some of that space next time.   Also, I may cut down the salt a little.  Next, I'd like to pickle okra and then green tomatoes, but school starts in two weeks, so we'll see!