What to send
Skip the pastel arrangements. A sunflower, a magnolia or a single camellia reads as considered rather than decorative.
If he is the sort of person who would find flowers odd, keep it to one stem and make the note do the work. That is a fair trade.
- For a practical person: one sunflower and a short note
- For a quiet person: a magnolia, no fuss
- For someone who likes the garden: lavender with a daisy
What to write
Father’s Day messages tend to be about absence or about money. Neither is much of a compliment. Write about something he taught you instead — how to change a tyre, how to argue properly, how to sit with someone who is upset.
“You taught me how to apologise” is worth more to most fathers than any line about being there for you.
If the relationship is complicated
You are allowed to send something short and honest without resolving anything. “I know we do not talk about this stuff. I still wanted to send something” is a complete message, and it does not commit you to more.