Mainly your plants are suffering from haphazard and inconsistent care. I don't say this as a criticism exactly, but you should know that your age (14) is not quite the 'excuse' that you think it is. There are 14 year olds that because of their personality type, research and read about the orchids or houseplants that they care for. You can do the same. In fact, going forward it is the best thing. Go to the library and check out a book or three on orchids and get familiar with their needs. The phal that died after 7 years puzzles me. Why did you change what was obviously working in a fashion, if not working well? You have some interesting plants but without knowing their names you cannot really care for them adequately. Task one: learn the names (at least the plant family) of all the plants in your collection. Task two: learn the care and culture of those various plant families. Rinse and repeat. Have fun.

H

thanks howard, I know that being 14 isn't a big excuse I'm just saying that my judgement and knowledge capabilities are slightly lower than somebody who has lived longer and grown wiser. the reason I changed the care of my orchids is because I finally looked up on the internet "orchid care" or something and saw a brief idea of what I was supposed to be doing for them. the phal you mentioned isn't dead yet, but it seems to be recovering and I think it would have died if I had kept watering it like that. I have the plant names written down somewhere for most of my plants except the ones we bought at a safeway or something, I just can't remember them because they're so crazy! like Pleione. that is the name of the hardy asian one I meantioned but it's so vague I couldn't remember it! then for 2 of the plant's I did plenty of research and have no idea which they are. I was hoping also for possible identification on these two but forgot to mention it. that would be the 4th and 3rd5th pictures. I think one might be a Cattleya but can't be certain because many genuses look similar. the other one I really have no clue. it looks like a Brassia in some ways but I really can't tell. I have been doing alot of research about these plants I have and seem to always come to the same care description which is either water heavily then dry out or keep moist. I have been trying to do that but it never gives an actually description of how dry the bark should get. I just hope to get better at taking care of plants and eventually not encounter problems as often.

sorry I put 3rd and 5th next to eachother but what I meant was 4th and 3rd pictures to be the ones I don't know genus of.

I think you're doing great! You are one of the most stimulating 14 year olds I've come across in a long time!

Try to remember it's still just a plant and if it dies, so what. Buy another one, if possible.
You might want to start a notebook and tape all plant labels into it along with a digital photo of the plant. It's a bit of work but for a plant you will keep for years, it will be helpful. Keep a page for each plant and jot down anything relevant.

If you develop an even further interest in orchids, it will help you to research a variety before buying it. Perhaps other family members are buying them on impulse at the grocery store, but you can guide them to the best choices.

http://img151.imageshack.us/i/dscn01351.jpg/

This one is an Odontoglossum. I was given one as a gift last month and yours is in much better shape then mine.

Thanks Bumblebeez. your idea of starting a notebook is a great idea, but I think I will transform it to instead a computer document, than a physical notebook. other family members don't really buy orchids ever except I think my dad has one cymbidium at his office which he brought home a while ago and it was extremely root-rotted from being watered every day for months. most of the orchids I chose while we were at a marketplace or something.

Thanks, Mori1 for your identification. I had been looking at pictures of many different genuses and never could find which one it was!