I wish you luck, but in defense of retail nurseries ( which I am not)...you have unknown seedlings wrt size, color and flower form that will take a bit of effort on your part and will also incur at least the cost of a container...which can be appreciable. Then, like as not, your first flower may well be a year away.
From a nursery, you can select the lotus you like by name, so you know exactly what to expect and it should bloom this season and is in a suitable pot. They do definitely provide a valuable service and deserve compensation.
Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”― Miyamoto Musashi
"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." ~ Jimi Hendrix
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”― Stephen Hawking
Craig